Posts from — September 2015

Lazy Daze

Sigh…

[Editor: CC is taking advantage of the low humidity to lounge outside.]

Friday Ark

Position: 40.0N 58.5W [ 4PM CDT 2100 UTC].
Movement: North-Northeast [020°] near 24 mph [39 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1008 mb.

Currently about 535 miles [ 860 km] South-Southwest of Cape Race, Newfoundland.

At 4PM CDT the NHC declared Henri a remnant low and issued their last advisory.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

September 11^th, 2001

In the intervening years we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars, trampled on peoples rights, created huge new government bureaucracies, and can’t respond as well as the third world to a natural disaster.

It seems like we are constantly being told that every new group that appears anywhere is capable of another 9/11 attack, so what is the point if we are no safer?

Richard Clarke: “Your government failed you. Those entrusted with protecting you failed you. And I failed you. We tried hard. But that doesn’t matter, because we failed. And for that failure, I would ask, once all the facts are out, for your understanding and for your forgiveness.“

Position: 34.8N 60.7W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North [005°] near 14 mph [22 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles [220 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1008 mb.

Currently about 290 miles [ 470 km] Northeast of Bermuda.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 31.3N 60.7W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: North [355°] near 5 mph [ 7 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 125 miles [205 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1008 mb ↓.

Currently about 250 miles [ 405 km] East-Southeast of Bermuda.

Grace has become a remnant low.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

From the Lexington Herald-Leader: Rowan County Clerk Kim Davis leaves jail; judge orders her not to interfere with marriages

U.S. District Judge David L. Bunning issued an order releasing Davis from custody early Tuesday afternoon, five days after he jailed her for refusing to issue marriage licenses.

Bunning took the action after attorneys for same-sex couples who had been refused licenses by Davis reported to the judge that a deputy clerk had issued licenses to three couples involved in the complaint. However, Bunning also instructed Davis not to interfere, directly or indirectly, with the efforts of her deputy clerks to issue licenses.

Here’s what happened: The case was filed by three couples who were denied marriage licenses. The couples were male-maie, female-female, and male-female, all were denied licenses because Ms Davis stopped issuing licenses to anyone. After Ms Davis was jailed, all but one of her deputies agreed to issue licenses to everyone. When the three couples reported to the judge that they had received licenses, the judge’s order had been complied with and he released Ms Davis with the warning that if she inferred with licenses she would again be subject to sanctions.

Judge Bunning has just guaranteed that Ms Davis is out of options. He has established his reasonableness to the appellate courts.

Position: 14.6N 45.8W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [275°] near 18 mph [30 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1007 mb.

Currently about 1035 miles [1665 km] East of the Lesser Antilles.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 14.0N 39.2W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [275°] near 20 mph [31 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 45 miles [ 75 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1006 mb ↑.

Currently about 1480 miles [2380 km] East of the Lesser Antilles.

Grace is moving quickly and is less organized today than yesterday. Grace is still weakening and is expected to be a depression tomorrow.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

In any celebration of Labor Day I’m at a slight disadvantage because for a big chunk of my life it was celebrated as May Day where I was living.

It is rather unique, as it is the only holiday I’m aware of that was imported from Canada where it’s spelled Labour Day.

When I was an elementary school student, it marked the end of summer and beginning of school, but it is a rare holiday in the South as there is no tradition of blowing things up in celebration. There is also no tradition of honoring labor in the South, and labor unions are considered communist conspiracies.

[Read more →]

Position: 13.3N 32.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 15 mph [24 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 50 mph [ 85 kph].
Wind Gusts: 65 mph [100 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 60 miles [ 95 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1002 mb.

Currently about 600 miles [ 960 km] West-Southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

Position: 26.5N 42.5W [ 4PM CDT 2100 UTC].
Movement: North-Northeast [030°] near 10 mph [17 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 30 mph [ 45 kph].
Wind Gusts: 45 mph [ 75 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1011 mb ↑.

Currently about 1200 miles [1935 km] Southwest of the Azores.

This is the final advisory as Fred has finally weakened into a remnant low.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]

NPR has a condensed version: Presidential Candidates Take Sides On Support For Kentucky Clerk.

Ellroon found a nice statement of the core issue:

No one’s being jailed for practicing her religion. Someone’s being jailed for using the government to force others to practice her religion. – Rachel Held Evans

My bumper sticker version is “County Clerk – NOT County Cleric!”

Ms Davis wasn’t just refusing to issue marriage licenses to same sex couples, she was refusing to issue licenses to anyone. She was attempting to avoid being sued for discrimination. Refusing to fulfill your duties as a public servant is generally considered a crime – malfeasance.

The ABC reports on a West Point tradition:

Thirty cadets at the prestigious US Military Academy in New York state have been left injured after a traditional pillow fight turned bloody.

The brawl left 24 young cadets with concussions, the West Point academy told the New York Times, after reports that some stuffed their pillows with hard objects.

I can tell you from personal experience that the standard military pillow is not fluffy and the cover is stiffer than a new pair of jeans, but you couldn’t possibly give someone a concussion with one.

They train military officers at West Point. Do we really want people who cheat in a pillow fight to be officers?

Position: 12.8N 27.5W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [280°] near 14 mph [22 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 35 miles [ 55 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1006 mb ↓.

Currently about 320 miles [ 520 km] Southwest of the Cape Verde Islands.

Another wave off of Africa goes tropical.

Here’s the link for NOAA’s latest satellite images.

[For the latest information click on the storm symbol, or go to the CATEGORIES drop-down box below the CALENDAR and select “Hurricanes” for all of the posts related to storms on this site.]