Posts from — August 2017

While the media and much of the nation is watching the slow moving Harvey chewing up and hosing down the Gulf Coast of Texas, the White House did a news dump: Trump signs directive banning transgender military recruits; Trump pardons former Sheriff Joe Arpaio; and Sebastian Gorka resigns from White House.

From Crooks and Liars – Today in false prophets:

Was Jim Bakker always quite this crazy?

Via Right Wing Watch, you have to watch the insane interview he did Monday with televangelist Paula White, who is one of President Trump’s key spiritual advisers. She praised Trump for not acting presidential.

“Thank goodness,” she said. “In other words, he’s not a polished politician. In other words, he’s authentically—whether people like him or not, he’s been raised up by God because God says that He raises up and places all people in places of authority. It is God that raises up a king, it is God that sets one down and so when you fight against the plan of God, you’re fighting against the hand of God.”

Ms White, you are not Samuel and Drumpf is not Saul. We don’t ‘annoint’ leaders in the United States we elect them. We don’t pledge loyalty to Presidents, they pledge to uphold the Constitution. That was one of the goals of the American Revolution, getting rid of the ‘divine right of kings’. If G*d was going to get involved he would have certainly preferred someone who had a better ‘score’ on the Ten Commandments.

You might want to glance at Deuteronomy 18:20 – “But the prophet, which shall presume to speak a word in my name, which I have not commanded him to speak, or that shall speak in the name of other gods, even that prophet shall die.”

Position: 28.0N 97.0W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [325°] near 7 mph [11 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 130 mph [215 kph].
Wind Gusts: 145 mph [230 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles [220 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 40 miles [ 55 km].
Minimum central pressure: 938 mb ↓.

Currently about 30 miles [ 45 km] East-Northeast of Corpus Christi, Texas.

This storm’s wind damage will be similar to a large tornado, but the rain and storm surge will be the most destructive feature. It is slow moving and is currently forecast to go inland and then come back out to the Gulf and head further north.

At 10PM CDT: “Harvey has just made landfall on the Texas coast over the northern end of San Jose Island about 4 miles (6 km) east of Rockport.”

At 7PM CDT Harvey is coming ashore between Port Aransas and Port O’Connor as a Category 4 Hurricane. At 8PM CDT the eyewall is beginning to come ashore.

At 7AM CDT Harvey is a maximum category 2 storm and still strengthening based on the falling pressure. At Noon CDT sustained tropical storm force winds are hitting the Texas coast around Corpus Christi. At 2PM CDT Harvey became a Category 3 hurricane, a major hurricane. At 6PM CDT Harvey became a category 4 storm as hurricane force winds are felt along the coast/

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Port Mansfield to Sargent, Texas.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for North of Sargent to High Island, Texas.

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Port Mansfield to High Island, Texas.

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: 25.2N 94.6W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [315°] near 10 mph [17 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 85 mph [140 kph].
Wind Gusts: 100 mph [160 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 105 miles [165 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 25 miles [ 35 km].
Minimum central pressure: 973 mb ↓.

Currently about 245 miles [ 400 km] South-Southeast of Port Oconnor, Texas.

At 10AM CDT Harvery is starting to intensify rapidly, and could be a major hurricane before it makes landfall. At Noon CDT update Harvey now a Cat 1 hurricane.

A Hurricane Warning is in effect for Port Mansfield to Sargent, Texas.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for North of Sargent to High Island, Texas and South of Port Mansfield, Texas to the Mouth of the Rio Grande.

A Storm Surge Warning is in effect for Port Mansfield to San Luis Pass, Texas.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for South of Port Mansfield, Texas to the Mouth of the Rio Grande.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for South of the Mouth of the Rio Grande to Boca de Catan, Mexico.

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for the coast of Texas from South of Port Mansfield, Texas to the Mouth of the Rio Grande and North of San Luis Pass to High Island, Texas.

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: 21.9N 92.6W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northwest [325°] near 2 mph [ 4 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1002 mb ↓.

Currently about 445 miles [ 715 km] Southeast of Port Mansfield, Texas.

Harvey re-intensified after entering the Gulf of Mexico.

A Hurricane Watch is in effect for the coast of Texas from North of Port Mansfield to San Luis Pass.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for coast of the Gulf from Boca De Catan, Mexico to Port Mansfield, Texas and from North of San Luis Pass to High Island, Texas.

A Storm Surge Watch is in effect for the coast of Texas from North of Port Mansfield to High Island.

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.]

As expected U.S. Navy to remove commander of 7th Fleet amid latest accidents: “Vice Adm. Joseph Aucoin — a three-star commander of the U.S. 7th Fleet based in Yokosuka, Japan — will be relieved of his duty Wednesday for loss of confidence in the wake of four accidents.”

This is standard procedure. Three front line vessels are out of service and 17 sailors are dead or missing. This requires strong ‘medicine’ during peace time.

The current information is that the steering on the McCain failed just before the collision. No information as ot why the crew didn’t increase speed to avoid the collision, or why the collision alarm wasn’t sounded.

The ABC has an explainer on the ‘traffic rules’ on the ocean.

NPR has a nice little history lesson: Confederate Statues Were Built To Further A ‘White Supremacist Future’ – they aren’t about history, they are about intimidation.

The Navy just relieved the top command of the USS Fitzgerald after the preliminary investigation of a collision with a container ship off Japan, and now the USS John S. McCain, another Arleigh Burke-class guided missile destroyer, has collided with a tanker off Singapore, This is the fourth incident this year of US naval vessels stationed at Yokosuka, Japan. It’s time to send them back to the DMV for a new driving test.

They have radars and personnel on watch, WTF? Seven dead on the Fitzgerald and 10 missing on the McCain – this is no way to run a Navy.

This is going to hit a vital organ: Trump’s bottom line

On Friday, three well-known charities — the American Red Cross, the Salvation Army and Susan G. Komen — announced they are canceling plans for fundraising events at President Trump’s Palm Beach country club, Mar-a-Lago.

The three joined a growing list of nonprofits that have severed ties with the exclusive, Trump-owned resort. Others include the Cleveland Clinic and the American Cancer Society.

This is the price you pay for hanging out with Nazis and the KKK. The media had a fit when Hilary Clinton pointed out that many of Trump’s supporters were deplorable, but they had to kill someone before the media believed it.

Position: 14.3N 71.8W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [275°] near 22 mph [35 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 35 mph [ 55 kph].
Wind Gusts: 50 mph [ 80 kph].
Minimum central pressure: 1007 mb.

Currently about 135 miles [ 215 km] North of the northern tip of the Guajira Peninsula, Colombia.

At 4PM CDT Harvery has weakened to a tropical depression.

At 10PM CDT Harvey degenerated to a remnant low. This is the final NHC 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.]

Position: 13.7N 64.1W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [275°] near 18 mph [30 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 70 miles [110 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1005 mb.

Currently about 345 miles [ 555 km] East-Northeast of Curacao.

At 7AM CDT the center of the storm is between Barbados and the Windward Islands.

At 1PM CDT all watches and warnings were cancelled.

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: 13.0.0N 57.4W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: West [270°] near 18 mph [30 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 40 mph [ 65 kph].
Wind Gusts: 55 mph [ 90 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 60 miles [ 95 km].
Minimum central pressure: 1005 mb.

Currently about 140 miles [ 230 km] East of Barbados.

The Hurricane Hunter aircraft report that PTC Nine has become Tropical Storm Harvey.

A Tropical Storm Warning is in effect for Martinique, St. Lucia, Barbados, and St. Vincent & the Grenadines.

A Tropical Storm Watch is in effect for Dominica.

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: 44.8N 46.0W [ 4PM CDT 2100 UTC].
Movement: East-Northeast [060°] near 39 mph [63 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 65 mph [100 kph].
Wind Gusts: 75 mph [120 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 230 miles [370 km].
Minimum central pressure: 985 mb ↑.

Currently about 860 miles [1390 km] East of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

The storm has become post-tropical. This is the final NHC 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.]

Position: 40.1N 58.4W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: East-Northeast [065°] near 37 mph [59 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 105 mph [165 kph].
Wind Gusts: 120 mph [190 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 140 miles [220 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 35 miles [ 55 km].
Minimum central pressure: 967 mb ↓.

Currently about 410 miles [ 665 km] Southeast of Halifax, Nova Scotia.

At 4PM CDT Gert strengthened to a Category 2 storm.

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.]

Trump values his ‘brand’ highly and charges a lot of money for people to use it on hotels and golf courses. His wife sued a tabloid over an article she felt was damaging her ‘brand’. His daughter was upset by the effect his running for President had on her ‘brand’.

Other people also protect their brands.

Tiki Brand, a small company with less than 100 employees, wanted everyone to know that it didn’t approve of the use of its products in the march on the University of Virginia. They had no problem saying they don’t like Nazis.

Trump’s response has led to the exit from his manufacturing council of Merck CEO Kenneth Frazier, who was then attacked on Twitter by Trump. He was followed by Intel CEO Brian Krzanich and Under Armour CEO Kevin Plank. This was followed by the exit of Scott Paul, head of the Alliance for American Manufacturing.

Go Daddy protected its brand by giving The Daily Stormer [Der Tägliche Stürmer in the original German] 24 hours to find a new host after the sites scurrilous comments about the victim in the terrorist attack in Charlottesville. The article was deemed a violation of terms of service.

The site transferred to Google, but Google not only dumped it, they cancelled its domain registration based on the terms of service for an anonymous registration.

Both Dylann Storm Roof and Thomas Alexander Mair were fond of The Daily Stormer.

Chap behind Godwin’s law suspends his own rule for Charlottesville fascists: ‘By all means, compare them to Nazis’

Mike Godwin, creator of Godwin’s law, has rescinded his own rule for those outraged by vile fascists marching the streets of Virginia, USA, at the weekend.

In other words, it’s OK to call these un-American white supremacists exactly what they are: “By all means, compare these shitheads to Nazis. Again and again. I’m with you,” Godwin said on Sunday evening.

Update: Trump reverts to his inner fascist and defends the Nazis again.

Position: 34.8N 70.3W [10PM CDT 0300 UTC].
Movement: Northeast [035°] near 15 mph [24 kph].
Maximum sustained winds: 85 mph [140 kph].
Wind Gusts: 100 mph [160 kph].
Tropical Storm Wind Radius: 115 miles [185 km].
Hurricane Wind Radius: 25 miles [ 35 km].
Minimum central pressure: 979 mb ↓.

Currently about 360 miles [ 580 km] West-Northwest 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.]