Thursday, January 9, 2025

Is Rachel Maddow Just Plain Stupid?

 Marcus Ebenhack  

"The queen of gaslighting cautions her flock on the perils of being gaslit by their opponents. Do you not remember Russiagate and the mostly peaceful BLM protests Rachel? That’s what gaslighting looks like, not that you should need to be told."

Image: AT via Magic Studio

. . ."In saying “the whole country openly expected and was preparing for Republicans to go into violent, if not armed revolt,” Maddow deploys one of her favorite rhetorical devices. She asserts, as indisputable fact, with no supporting evidence whatsoever, that which only she has the brilliance to see. She of course then proceeds to build her house of cards premise on this, and other questionable assertions.

"I, for one, certainly didn’t expect any meaningful political violence, and certainly no armed revolt if the Democrats won the presidential election. What did Rachel think the point of the Biden DoJ’s scorched earth policy of prosecuting anyone remotely connected to the events of J6 was? It was precisely to put the fear of God, or worse, the U.S. government, into any who would protest another Democratic presidential victory, regardless how questionable it might be.

"She then extrapolates from here to state that the two political parties are no longer competing in democratic terms anymore. This is laughable. I would ask Maddow how many primary votes her candidate received. This defending democracy garbage from the Left is the peak of gall. They don’t give a rip about democracy, the only thing they care about defending is raw Democratic Party power and Maddow is an important cog in this machine. One more voice spewing the meticulously coordinated DNC talking points on any given day. Rachel was the undisputed queen of Russiagate!

The walls are closing in, we have Trump’s tax returns… Truth is old school. Narrative is the order of the day.

…how do we get the Republican Party and the Trumpist right to no longer see physical force and armed conflict as the way they're going to get their way and hold power?

"Someone needs to remind Maddow of the BLM and Antifa riots that roiled the country in the summer of 2020. The gist of her piece is to decry Trump’s promise to pardon J6 defendants. . . ."

Costco’s Oversized Faith In DEI; Victor Davis Hanson update

 Issues & Insights 

 "If Costco’s board is so convinced that its DEI program is beyond reproach, it too would welcome such a study, instead of hiding behind platitudes and ideological attacks. Shareholders should tell the board members as much when they vote on the proposal two weeks from today." 

"Costco’s board of directors has been winning plenty of praise lately for defending its “diversity, equity, and inclusion” program against a shareholder proposal put forth by a conservative group. It deserves none of it.

"The proposal, widely – and wrongly – described as a plan to dismantle Costco’s DEI program, says simply this:

Resolved: Shareholders request that the Board conduct an evaluation and publish a report, omitting proprietary and privileged information, on the risks of the Company maintaining its current DEI (including ‘People & Communities’) roles, policies and goals.

"The pundit class described the board’s rejection of the proposal as a brave defense of DEI against right-wing bullies, one that was “notable in its forcefulness,” that set Costco “apart from other major companies,” and that “resets the conversation.”

"What the board’s response really amounts to is this: Let’s keep our heads in the sand.

"The statement starts by saying “The report requested by this proposal would not provide meaningful additional information to our shareholders.”

"How would they know that without actually studying the risks and costs and letting shareholders decide for themselves if the information is meaningful?

"What follows is just a recitation of the bromides that DEI advocates have been spitting out for years. Diversity is our strength. Our workers should reflect our customers. It’s good for the bottom line. Etc., etc.

"Then the board launches into an ad hominem attack on the National Center for Public Policy Research, which filed the proposal. When it comes to diversity and inclusion, only certain viewpoints qualify.

"The Costco board says that the only reason companies face risks from their DEI policies is because groups such as the NCPPR “are responsible for inflicting burdens on companies with their challenges to longstanding diversity programs.” . . .

Victor Davis Hanson Condemns California’s DEI Hiring In Fire Departments, ‘Not Muscularity, Not Experience,’ Just DEI  Video

. . . "During an appearance on “Finnerty,” Hanson said these policies prioritize DEI above essential firefighting qualifications like experience and physical readiness. Hanson said that hiring workers based on DEI led to an ill-equipped workforce in the state.

“The DEI fire chief, 70% of her hires have been based on DEI. Not muscularity, not experience, not size, not competence. The primary criterion was DEI. And so the only… thing that is different about this is that this was not the inner city. This was, as Donald Trump mentioned, and I’ve taught at Pepperdine, I just got back from there. This is the most elite area of California,” Hanson told Rob Finnerty." . . .


Democrats and fire; a dreadful combination

https://rofcbybroc.com/

California: Five Fires in Los Angeles Leaves Five Dead, Thousands of Homes Burned

  • Palisades Fire: Area between Malibu and Santa Monica, spanning across 17,200 acres.
  • Eaton Fire: The Altadena neighborhood, burning across 10,600 acres.
  • Hurst Fire and the Lidia Fire: San Fernando Valley across 855 and 348 acres.
  • Sunset Fire: Hollywood Hills across 43 acres.
Main comment to the above:  AF_Chief_Master_Sgt | January 9, 2025 at 7:29 am

Let’s all take a moment and blame State Farm for the carnage. They were horrible for canceling so many insurance policies in that area, leaving the residents without hope to rebuild once this is over. /s

Let’s take a moment to celebrate diversity and equity in California! A mayor doing the state’s business in Africa after she saved the county millions of dollars in wasteful spending on personnel and equipment, the governor making sure the residents have evacuation plans and his support, the President who wanted to tell everyone how he almost lost his Corvette in a fire (and how he can relate), the state’s emergency management and fire department for firing people who refused to protect the community by refusing the COVID “vaccine’” and many others who contributed to the success of putting out these fires so quickly.


California's Incompetent Democrat Leadership Results in 4 Million Without Power   
. . ."KTLA reports that a lot of the outages were caused by damage to the infrastructure thanks to high winds and wildfires, but some are being shut off for preventative reasons, purposefully to stop downed power lines from starting more fires.

"As Bonchie pointed out in his own article, much of the issue regarding the wildfires and the problems caused by them is thanks, in large part, to the incompetence of the Democrats who run the state. Gavin Newsom has been attempting to push the responsibility off of himself in order to avoid damaging his political aspirations, despite the fact that he is in charge of all this centralization: " . . .  

Newsom pretended to get emotional, claiming he was holding back from what he really wanted to say, and then whined about Trump allegedly "politicizing" the tragedy amid the loss of lives and homes:   . .  ."Secondly, Newsom lost the right to criticize anyone for allegedly "politicizing" a tragedy considering all the times he's politicized a mass shooting or natural disaster or anything else he could politicize just to keep his name in the national headlines at a time when he was trying to present himself as a viable alternative to Joe Biden.

"Thirdly, Newsom inadvertently made Trump's point in talking about what residents have had to do since the fires started. Who has been in charge in California over the last couple of decades or so statewide and in the big cities? Democrats like Newsom, all of who enact policies that cause people to flee one way or the other, whether it's due to coddling criminals or lack of preparedness for the exact types of dangerous situations that have unfolded in recent weeks." . . . 

"Ironically, we just published a piece about the DEI gay fire chief ranting about the firefighter shortage in Los Angeles.

California Caught Off Guard By Massive Fires After LA Fire Dept Spent Years Pushing ‘Racial Equity’  

. . ."The LAFD has implemented an internal “racial equity plan,” subjected employees to diversity training and is currently led by Chief Kristin Crowley, “the first female and LGBTQ Fire Chief in the LAFD” and a staunch supporter of the initiatives. As strong winds fed the wildfires on Tuesday evening, former Republican Los Angeles mayoral candidate Rick Caruso reported that some fire hydrants were running low on water as the department scrambled to mobilize firefighters." . . . 

JUST IN: Arsonists caught on camera setting fires in Santa Monica…

Revolver News  

"Watching California turn to ash makes you wonder—are these the final days for the land of fruits and nuts? It all feels so Biblical. But we’re not making light of this hellish situation—it’s gut-wrenching to watch people lose everything. Sadly, one thing is clear: elections have consequences, and you get what you vote for."

"California is drowning in an inferno of DEI mediocrity and failure—and on top of that, it’s literally burning to the ground. It’s a horrific, nightmarish state of affairs, with people and animals losing their lives and homes thanks to the gross negligence and DEI stupidity of so-called leaders and officials. Right now, California looks like all-out Armageddon, with water and firefighter shortages, mass looting, and just-in: pyromaniacs are now jumping into the chaos."

"In Santa Monica, a group of arsonists was even caught on camera setting fires.

  🚨 JUST IN: Arsonists caught on camera setting fires in Santa Monica

"Ironically, we just published a piece about the DEI gay fire chief ranting about the firefighter shortage in Los Angeles.

"Revolver:  "As the city of LA burns down to the ground, thanks to a laundry list of failures from California’s progressive “leaders,” the LGBTQ DEI fire chief is now complaining about a firefighter shortage.

" 'Maybe she’s forgotten that during the COVID “pandemic” hysteria, hundreds of brave heroes were suspended or fired for refusing to take the dangerous jab." . . .

I'm sure Antifa kids are pleased and inspired to see all this.TD

Why are liberals such poor judges of character?

It was this coastal area whose voters kept Newsom in office during his failed recall.   Where is support for recall of California Gov. Gavin Newsom strongest?   . . ."Debbi Srp, one of two recall volunteers responsible for delivering signatures from Shasta and Trinity counties, said North State conservatives are upset by Newsom's policies on taxes, public education and homelessness, alleging that his work has led to more people on the streets. Point-in-time counts show that homelessness has risen by several hundred people in far Northern California over the past several years.

" 'The people were already fed up," Srp said. "He'd been in office for long enough to know that, it's like, he's not for the people anymore." . . . Demographic map here.


 Palisades Fire Incinerates Future Career of Mayor Karen Bass, Gavin Newsom’s Presidential Aspirations   "Perhaps focusing on diversity, equity, inclusion, and gender politics did not produce the best candidates or inspire qualified individuals to join the service.

 "However, this disaster can’t solely be laid at the feet of Bass. State leadership also has significant culpability.

"In 2014, California voters approved Proposition 1, the Water Quality, Supply and Infrastructure Improvement Act of 2014. A $7.5 billion water bond was supposed to upgrade the state’s water infrastructure.

"Over 10 years later, only smaller-scale projects have been completed. The larger, more complex water storage projects are still in development due to extensive planning, permitting, and construction requirements. The only major projects on the docket for Los Angeles are a water purification facility and a toilet-to-tap system, which are still being built.

"Meanwhile, Newsom chortles about removing dams because fish are more important than California’s citizens."   More here...


Alaska Sues Biden Administration Over Restrictions on Upcoming ANWR Lease Sale

The Institute For Energy Research 

"President Biden has a long-standing opposition to oil development in Alaska, beginning with his vote against the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System in 1973 during his first year as a Senator."

"Alaska has asked a federal court to enjoin oil and gas leases sold in a lease sale in the ANWR to be held on January 10 and declare the sale illegal, even though Alaska strongly supports ANWR oil and gas exploration and development.

"Alaska is convinced the Biden Administration deliberately wrote the environmental impact statement and conditions for the sale to draw the fewest and lowest possible bids and may preclude any future lease sales.

"The state argues that the Biden administration did this to thwart the objectives of the lawpassed in 2017, which directed lease sales to be held there.

"The lease sale is the second one in the ANWR, with the first being held after Biden’s certification in 2021, which limited interest because of President-elect Biden’s known antipathy towards fossil fuels.  

"Alaska economic development projects have been frequent targets for the Biden Administration, with huge land withdrawals on and offshore, denial of road permits required under federal law, and many others which Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan has chronicled for redress by President-elect Trump, who has been much more open to Alaska’s economic development needs.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

UPDATED: “The Governor of California has done a terrible job of forest management" Donald Trump, 2019

 


UPDATED 1/9: Maybe California politicians should listen to Trump instead of seeking to Trump-proof the state    . . . "But of course, California is laser-focused on what really matters: DEI policies instead of merit-based hiring: “Prepare to Be Shocked: Los Angeles' Fire Chief Is a DEI-Obsessed 'LGBTQ' Woman Who Wasted Millions”.

"That certainly discourages qualified people from applying for firefighter and police jobs.

"Mayor Bass of Los Angeles won’t even answer questions from the press on anything about the fires, budget cuts, or water shortages: “Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass Cut Fire Budget by Nearly $20 Million”.

"What will it take for Californians to fire the Democrats who are working so hard to destroy their state?"

How years of corruption and mismanagement led to LA running out of water in the middle of the Palisades wildfire    "As Los Angeles firefighters faced down the most destructive blaze in the city’s history, they ran out of water.

"“The hydrants are down,” a firefighter said over the radio, according to the Los Angeles Times.

"Another chipped in: “Water supply just dropped.”

"Fire crews were forced to watch as entire blocks of the Pacific Palisades — one of the most scenic and celeb-packed neighborhoods in LA — were incinerated in a matter of hours late Tuesday and early Wednesday.

" 'There’s no water in the fire hydrants,” Rick Caruso, who owns the Palisades Village mall in the heart of the devastated area, fumed to local media. “The firefighters are there, and there’s nothing they can do — we’ve got neighborhoods burning, homes burning, and businesses burning. … It should never happen.”  . . .

. . .“He wanted to protect an essentially worthless fish called a smelt… but didn’t care about the people of California,” the incoming president ranted on his Truth Social Platform.

"Trump has also slammed Newsom for failure to clean up underbrush and dead trees that can fuel forest fires — though it’s not yet clear whether that is a factor in these latest blazes.

Image: DonkeyHotey
" 'I told him from the first day we met that he must ‘clean’ his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him. Must also do burns and cut fire stoppers,” Trump posted to X in 2019.

"Trump was referring to measures such as prescribed burns and fuel breaks, or firebreaks, which help keep wildfires from spreading.Newsom has bragged about his forestry accomplishments, but a 2021 investigation by CapRadio and NPR’s California Newsroom found that he overstated the number of acres treated with fuel breaks and prescribed burns by a whopping 690%." . . .  Read More...

Trump repeatedly warned Gov. Newsom about ‘terrible’ wildfire prevention in wake of deadly Palisades fire   “The Governor of California, @GavinNewsom, has done a terrible job of forest management. I told him from the first day we met that he must ‘clean’ his forest floors regardless of what his bosses, the environmentalists, DEMAND of him. Must also do burns and cut fire stoppers,” the former and upcoming president posted to X in 2019. 

" 'Every year, as the fire’s rage & California burns, it is the same thing-and then he comes to the Federal Government for $$$ help. No more. Get your act together Governor. You don’t see close to the level of burn in other states,” the thread continued. 

"Trump’s message to Newsom came as the Kincade Fire raged in Sonoma County from Oct. 23 to Nov. 6, 2019." . . . 

Daniel Penny seeks dismissal of lawsuit by subway chokehold victim’s father

 Yahoo
  "Zachary is seeking a judgment awarding damages “in a sum which exceeds the jurisdictional limits of all lower Courts which would otherwise have jurisdiction.”

"Daniel Penny, a former U.S. Marine who was acquitted of criminal charges in the death of a Black man on a New York City subway, has filed to dismiss a lawsuit brought by the victim’s father.
"In court filings on Monday, Penny’s lawyers denied claims laid out by Andre Zachary, Jordan Neely’s father, that he is culpable for civil damages after using a chokehold on Neely that ultimately led to his death.
"Instead, said Penny’s lawyer Steven Raiser, “all injuries or damages” were caused by Neely’s own “culpable conduct, negligence, carelessness, and lack of care.”
" 'We are committed to defending this ill-conceived civil action brought by Jordan Neely’s estranged father with same the vigor with which we defended the criminal case,” Raiser said in a statement to The Associated Press.
"Penny placed Neely in a chokehold on May 1, 2023, after the Michael Jackson impersonator began shouting at passengers on the subway that he was hungry, thirsty and suicidal.
"Video of the incident showed Penny held Neely in a headlock position for several minutes as another passenger pinned Neely’s arms and a third held down his shoulder.
"The chief medical examiner’s office determined Neely died from compression of the neck and ruled his death a homicide.
"Last month, Zachary filed his complaint in the New York Supreme Court, accusing Penny of negligence, assault and battery.
"But days later, a Manhattan jury cleared Penny of criminally negligent homicide.
"Zachary is seeking a judgment awarding damages “in a sum which exceeds the jurisdictional limits of all lower Courts which would otherwise have jurisdiction.”

It's Raining Cats and Dogs in California—but What Happens to All That Water?

 Bob Hoge  

"Editor's Note: This article was originally published on January 9, 2023, almost exactly two years ago. We are reprinting it in light of the wildfires sweeping through the Los Angeles region and the water supply problems experienced by fire crews." 

 

"It’s absolutely pouring in Los Angeles Monday night as another storm hits the area, with rivers running down my street, my yard turned into a large swimming pool, and evacuations being ordered in Prince Harry’s town of Montecito (just south of Santa Barbara).

"I wrote last week about how instead of welcoming this desperately needed precipitation, the media has largely been portraying it in a negative light, bemoaning the terrifying-sounding “bomb cyclone” and predicting horrible things. Yes, the historic onslaught will cause some damage, but you don’t get Nature on your terms—you get it on Nature’s.

The question is, with billions of gallons dropping out of the sky, where does all that water go? Shouldn’t this be enough to end the drought and leave us with oodles of H2O?

"Turns out, the answer lies in bad planning, wasted resources and bureaucratic entanglements. Why do I say that? Because most of this water will fly down the LA River and into the ocean, an ephemeral visitor that we fail to capture or effectively utilize. In effect, God is giving us the very answer to one of California’s most vexing problems—and we’re simply letting it slip through our hands."

The Los Angeles Times explains:

It was by all accounts a washout, but despite heaps of water pouring into the area, drought-weary Los Angeles won’t be able to save even half of it. The region’s system of engineered waterways is designed to whisk L.A.’s stormwater out to sea — a strategy intended to reduce flooding that nonetheless sacrifices countless precious gallons.

Voters in 2018 approved Measure W, which is aimed at improving L.A.’s aging stormwater capture system. Officials are making progress, but experts say there’s a long way to go. Of an estimated 5 billion to 10 billion gallons pouring into the Los Angeles Basin from current storms, only about 20% will be captured by the county.

. . . ?Despite being one of the highest-taxed states in the nation, California continues to watch one of its most valuable resources simply slip away into the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile,Governor Gavin Newsom and the Sacramento legislature enacted strict water use measures this summer, leading to most of our lawns dying, and enforced tough standards on home devices—meaning our showers barely get you wet and our toilets hardly flush. It’s part of the culture of “lack” that has taken over in our society; despite having vast resources, we are always focused on what we don’t have."

LA fire updates from CAL FIRE

 Where are the wildfires around Los Angeles? See maps

Fires in Los Angeles County

KTLA 5 News photojournalist Paul Sanchez recorded this video from an airplane flying over the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles. Jan. 7, 2025.

Incidents | CAL FIRE   Ongoing emergency responses in California, including all 10+ acre wildfires.

Palisades Fire | CAL FIRE  Evacuation Orders are in effect for the following zones:

  • DRY-U026-A, LOS-Q0767, MAL-C111-A, MAL-C111-B, MAL-C112-B, MTN-U028, RMB-U030-A, RMB-U030-B, RMB-U030-D, RRC-U027, SAN-Q1395-B, SAN-Q1396-B, SDP-U029, SSM-U010-A, SSM-U010-B, TOP-U001, TOP-U002, TOP-U003, TOP-U004, TOP-U005, TOP-U006, TOP-U007, TOP-U008, TOP-U009

Eaton Fire | CAL FIRE    Evacuation Orders  Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW. The area is lawfully closed to public access.

  • ALD-ARROYOSECO, ALD-CALAVERAS, ALD-CANON, ALD-CASITAS, ALD-CHANEY, ALD-EASTLOMA, ALD-EATONCANYON, ALD-FARNSWORTH, ALD-GARDEN, ALD-GARFIAS, ALD-LAUREL, ALD-MEADOWS, ALD-MENDOCINO, ALD-MIDLOTHIAN, ALD-MILLARD, ALD-MOUNTLOWE, ALD-PALM, ALD-RUBIO, ALD-WAPELLO, ALD-WHITEPARK, ARC-001, ARC-002, ARC-004, GLN-E018, GLN-E027, GLN-E028, GLN-E029, GLN-E030, GLN-E039, GLN-E040, GLN-E041,GLN-E043, GLN-E044, KIN-KINNELOA, LAC-E183, LCF-ALTACANYADA, LCF-BERKSHIRE, LCF-CASTLE, LCF-CIVICCENTER, LCF-COMMONWEALTH, LCF-CREST, LCF-CROWN, LCF-DESCANSO, LCF-FOOTHILLEAST, LCF-FOOTHILLWEST, LCF-HAMPSTEAD, LCF-HILLARD, LCF-INVERNESS, LCF-JPL, LCF-MEMORIAL, LCF-PARADISE, LCF-STARLIGHT, MRV-101, MRV-102, MRV-201, MRV-202, MRV-203, MRV-204, PAS-E001, PAS-E002, PAS-E003, PAS-E006, PAS-E008, PAS-E010, PAS-E012, PAS-E019, PAS-E022, SMD-E001, SMD-E002, SMD-E003, SMD-E004, SMD-E005, SMD-E006, SMD-E007, SMD-E008, SMD-E009, SMD-E010, SMD-E011, SMD-E012, SMD-E013, SMD-E014, SMD-E015, SMD-E016, SMD-E017, SMD-E019

  • The area north of Orange Grove/Rosemead Blvd., east of Lake Ave., and west of Michillinda Ave

Hurst Fire | CAL FIRE  Not a CAL FIRE Incident. Updates will be made as they become available.

Woodley Fire | CAL FIRE  Not a CAL FIRE Incident. Updates will be made as they become available.

Olivas Fire | CAL FIRE   Immediate threat to life. This is a lawful order to LEAVE NOW. The area is lawfully closed to public access.

Apocalypse in Los Angeles

Monica Showalter

Source: Cal Fire Data updates every 10 minutes.  By The New York Times

  "It started with a tweet by conservative Hollywood actor James Woods, posting a video of a fire in a Pacific Palisades canyon threatening his neighbor's house, and saying, "Leaving":

Leaving pic.twitter.com/yJDQ8xIhbI

— James Woods (@RealJamesWoods) January 7, 2025

Given the wind seen, I had a bad feeling about it.

Within an hour or two, a flood of tweet videos followed, showing a full blown inferno, with stories about cars jammed in gridlock, and people abandoning their cars to flee on foot. Writer Naomi Wolf, who might have been one of them, or who may have been in a similar incident earlier (I couldn't tell from her tweet), said they fled because they literally couldn't breathe.

The orange smoke that nearly killed me…get far away from it everyone if you can… https://t.co/yzidqrtzd1

— Dr. Naomi Wolf. 8 NYT Bestsellers. DPhil, Poetry. (@naomirwolf) January 8, 2025

Landmarks went up, palm trees caught fire, cars burned, homes burned, streets and streets of homes burned, the Getty Villa containing a massive collection of art and artefacts from antiquity was on and off reported on fire with videos showing flames licking up its hillside, firefighting planes were coming in from Oregon and Canada, with some scooping water from the ocean to drop as fire hydrants ran dry, zero fire fighters anywhere as multi-million dollar mansions went up in flames, the fire jumped highways and other breaks, reports emerged of people trapped in their homes, windspeeds reached 99 miles per hour, and the inferno videos started looking like Lahaina. " . . .

Self-driving cars use various sensors and require powerful computing ability to achieve driver-less operation.

 Animagraffs

"Self-driving cars use various sensors and require powerful computing ability to achieve driver-less operation."   Video