Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 08 Sep 17 - 10:37 AM Harvey is quickly becoming "last week's disaster," with Irma bearing down on inhabitants of the Caribbean and Florida, and Mexico convulsing under a massive earthquake. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Sep 17 - 12:13 PM The people who were driving the trucks disclosed what they were told to do, that isn't imaginary. Yes, the Red Cross needed help with huge deficits on the books. This woman and her cronies from AT&T weren't a good choice. As the victim of a reorg instituted by someone who brought friends along for good pay, all I can say is that the Red Cross would do well to get rid of all of them (keep in mind what happened to the Susan G. Koman organization when a former Bush rep got in there and tried to shut out Planned Parenthood as a breast cancer screener) - when charities have the wrong people in charge, it does more harm than good. I understand perfectly well setting aside funds for the next disaster, that was what we understood about some donations to the Haiti earthquake. Planning ahead. But I am finished with the Red Cross until Gail McGovern is out of there, and the friends she brought in with her. She is all about her image, all about the visual of things, not about actually doing the work in a meaningful way. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: leeneia Date: 06 Sep 17 - 11:12 AM When you read the linked article about the Red Cross's failings, try to put events in chronological order. That helps eliminate the journalist's tendency to make every article look like a huge expose. The Red Cross had a budget deficit of $70,000,000 - and that was in a good year. The CEO was told to cope with that. One result was that some long-term employees and mid-managers got worried about their jobs and made foolish decisions, trying to make themselves look vital. As for the story about the trucks in Tampa, I have serious doubts about it. I have read many books on weather, and I know that the National Weather Service cannot predict hurricane courses very far ahead, no matter how much we wish they could. And to what small city could the Red Cross move a flotilla of huge trucks with a day or two of notice? All this was in 2012. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 06 Sep 17 - 10:01 AM After the unprecedented damage Harvey did with duration and volume of water, Irma seems to want to one-up with velocity. #ClimateChangeIsReal |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Jack Campin Date: 04 Sep 17 - 07:36 PM I don't think the Red Cross has discredited itself in the same way anywhere but the US. In the UK, it has a lower profile than it once did, but that's mainly because there are so many other charities doing related work: Oxfam, Medecins sans Frontieres, Christian Aid, Islamic Relief... and DEC, which links all of those as well as the Red Cross itself. The others have often followed where the Red Cross led, so they should be seeing this as a success. Corporate values are always poison to a charity. The regulatory authorities ought to be keeping the business elite out of charity management. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Sep 17 - 04:41 PM NPR and ProPublica did a report in 2014. Sounds like the problem is largely trickling down from the top. The pay level may be reasonable, but reorganizations can cripple a good business or operation if not conducted well, and she's more concerned with perception than reality. We'll have to watch for reports out of Harvey, to see if they have cleaned up their act. It does sound like bringing a "business" individual into a charitable organization has been a major blunder. From another Pro Publica article: A former AT&T executive who had taught marketing at Harvard Business School, McGovern pledged to make the tough choices that would revitalize the Red Cross, which was chartered by Congress to provide aid after disasters. In a speech five years ago, she imagined a bright future, a "revolution" in which there would be "a Red Cross location in every single community.'' This one's long, I'll finish reading it later, but am sharing it now to not lose track of it. I still have questions about the numbers circulating, but also have to ask if they don't have a way to get McGovern out and try to repair the functionality and the reputation - and take her AT&T crew with her. She sounds as bad at running the Red Cross as Trump is as the highest elected official in the U.S. - totally unequipped to do the job. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Sep 17 - 12:55 PM Because I didn't quote it or share it, I referenced it's existence as an example of bad information. That needs clarification and/or correction. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: leeneia Date: 04 Sep 17 - 12:40 PM If you don't trust the meme, why do you do it the favor of spreading the word about it? |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 04 Sep 17 - 11:25 AM I'm extremely disappointed to see the reputational black eye that the American Red Cross has taken in recent years. Whether they didn't explain clearly how planning for disaster relief works back during Katrina or the Haiti earthquakes, or they had bad management in at the top, they have been apparently ceased to be the go-to agency after decades of responding to war and disaster. There is a meme making the rounds that I'm certain is misrepresenting actual numbers, with extremely low percentages of donations making it to victims. That said, I'll be watching for responsible reporting on how they operate, how they conduct themselves, and to see if there is a shakeup to get their management in order. An occasion like Harvey is a horrible time for them to be falling apart. Red Cross is where we've gone over the years for First Aid and CPR training. Perhaps now they need to offer training in how to plan for disasters. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Steve Shaw Date: 03 Sep 17 - 03:30 PM Well, two minutes ago I went outside for thirty seconds to put something in my car five yards away. I came back in with a vicious mozzie bite on my right shin. So excuse me if I feel nothing but schadenfreude towards those billions of mosquitos splattered on Texan fenders. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Donuel Date: 03 Sep 17 - 02:37 PM CBS illustrates the do and dont's of Harvey relief charity. https://www.cbsnews.com/news/best-intentions-when-disaster-relief-brings-anything-but-relief/ The red cross found mean$ to monopolize Goggle. :^( Its 3 PM in Texas and most Mothers do not know what or where thier kids will eat tonight. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: gillymor Date: 03 Sep 17 - 11:05 AM For anyone looking to contribute to Harvey relief here's an article that might be of use (it was updated Friday): NPR |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 03 Sep 17 - 10:52 AM Mosquitoes on the grill of a pickup photo posted on Facebook on Sept. 2, 2017 from near Victoria, Texas - one of the areas hardest hit by Hurricane Harvey. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Donuel Date: 31 Aug 17 - 08:34 PM leenia I refer you to Rachel Maddow Aug. 30 Archema |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: leeneia Date: 31 Aug 17 - 05:29 PM Donuel, the plant is under of water. How would anybody know what tanks are ruptured, which are leaking, which have been swept away. How could anybody make a definite list of the contents of the tanks? And what good would it be to a bunch of reporters and the general public? ========== There is enough bad news from Texas without journalists trying to add to the misery by playing the blame game. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: keberoxu Date: 31 Aug 17 - 02:37 PM Or the Trumpasaurus Rex might go the way of George W. Bush. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Donuel Date: 31 Aug 17 - 01:26 PM Hey It looks like Trump kept a promise and is helping to drain the swamp in Texas. He may end up being a folk hero like Moses or Noah. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Donuel Date: 31 Aug 17 - 01:10 PM I am not making assumptions leenia. Yes trucks do co operate with the transportation dept. to a crude degree. But when there are chemical plant disasters they do not and do not have to c0-operate. I refer you to Rachel Maddow for a sound recording last night of the Archem CEO refusing to disclose what peroxides are involved in the on going explosions. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: leeneia Date: 31 Aug 17 - 12:09 PM Now Donuel. Have you ever seen a truck or building with colored diamonds on it, each diamond having a number? I'm sure you have. Those colors and numbers describe the type of chemical there. This is just the first and most obvious way that business co-operate with fire departments. ================= I have been reading the news and watching videos. First I thought of the people of the Houston area, then of the pets. Third, I wondered about the alligators. Here's a video, but people seem vague about what's an alligator and what's a crocodile. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4izOM34_Xj4 Given a choice between alligator ris (Texas) and tornado risk (Midwset) I'll take the tornado risk. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Donuel Date: 31 Aug 17 - 09:15 AM People are incapable of empathy for 5 to 8 million people but a cute puppy or kitten is so adorable we are glad they will soon be up for adoption in three weeks or so. This is human nature and not a sarcastic criticism. Well perhaps a cynical criticism. I know can't even count up to 1 million. As for exploding and leaking Chemical companies: Its legal and normal for chemical companies to refuse to tell the authorities what chemicals are involved or what dangers they face. First and last responders are all left in the dark. This system works well for real estate and chemical companies but not the residents. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 31 Aug 17 - 07:44 AM Let's please NOT make the good luck of Texans debatable. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Donuel Date: 31 Aug 17 - 07:03 AM Acme tells it like it is, better than I. Less than 1 in six will be compensated for their loss. After a person files three times for flood damage they are disallowed another mortgage in a flood zone. Speaking of Mangos the Bright Yellow ones were magnificent. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 Aug 17 - 10:36 PM The trickle-down effect from the storm is expected, but it will catch many people outside of Houston by surprise. Today in the Hispanic grocery store where I buy a lot of my produce I told the clerk that this year's crop of mangoes are magnificent. I ate several last week and was back for more. She pointed out that their warehouses for their produce are in Houston. Anything that has to come out of Houston probably won't move, and anything that is shipping to Houston probably will sit offshore a while, and there goes the produce. Just a guess on some of the operations of that port, but as the general road system is messed up (and most stuff moves out of there on trucks), we're all going to be feeling this for a while. Schools will start late, and schools are obligated to educate children, so if families evacuate to other Texas cities they will be put in schools, and they will ride buses from shelters to the appropriate schools, as necessary. When Katrina hit New Orleans there were lots of evacuees in the North Texas area, and I volunteered at the local Salvation Army in the afternoons to help people with computer use, setting up email, finding sites where they need to register, fill out forms, etc.. I met a family I stuck with helping for a while, who fled the rising waters packed into a couple of cars. Three adult sisters, their children, a couple of grandbabies, and their elderly mother. A local church put them up for a few weeks, and by the time they were able to make the choice about returning or resettling here with housing vouchers, the main sister I worked with, named Sandra, decided to stay in Texas, and most of the family stayed with her. She would wax nostalgic when talking about the differences between New Orleans and Texas, the climate, the look (the huge trees in Louisiana), the food, etc. but her elementary school-aged daughter started school and liked the new school and was making friends. That was enough to convince Sandra to stay put. There will be lots of changes ahead. Many will pull up stakes and move away from the coast. Businesses will close for a while, or fail entirely. Others will pick up the slack. Criminals will descend on the area like fleas on a dog, and people will have to be vigilant to avoid crooked contractors offering to work on homes, and all of the fly-by-night "services" that will try to pop up. Many people will no longer have cars and will be unable to get to work. Unemployment is going to be a huge problem for a while. The poor and middle class will be affected the worst. Those without flood insurance are shit-out-of-luck, but those with it will find that inspectors are often corrupt and they'll need lawyers to get companies to pay what they are supposed to through the government program. It has been underfunded for years and the scandals after Hurricane Sandy hit New Jersey and New York revealed many of the problems. Trump is clueless. Hopefully that fool will stay out of the way and finally find people who actually know how to do their jobs to work on this big one. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Jack Campin Date: 30 Aug 17 - 08:05 PM Can you imagine 3 to 5 FEET of rain? This has not happened in thousands of years anywhere on Earth. Yes it has. Pretty regularly in places like Reunion Island and the foothills of the Himalayas. But they aren't concreted-over flat-as-a-pool-table urban-industrial conglomerations. Something more to worry about. https://consortiumnews.com/2017/08/30/worries-about-a-galveston-bio-lab/ They seem to have done their best to design it safely, but you have to wonder if there might not have been better places to put it. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: keberoxu Date: 30 Aug 17 - 02:08 PM Umm, Donuel, bless you, but the word you had in mind I think is spelled differently than "Bullocks," which conjures up the Old Testament image of "the cattle of a thousand hills"..... |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Steve Shaw Date: 30 Aug 17 - 12:25 PM Iains has been crowing on another thread about his scientific credentials and consultancy work. Yet he posts about "proving hypotheses." He also appears to dismiss the overwhelming scientific consensus on the effects of global warming. Dunno about Trump's effect just yet, Donuel. He could be out in three years with someone who's actually sane replacing him. The US has been a serial offender for decades over carbon emissions, the worst in the world by far per capita, Paris Accord or no, of any nation with a large population. More than twice the per capita emission of China and ten times that of India. Germany, industrial powerhouse of Europe, just over half the US figure, the UK well under half. Sure, you can find countries with much smaller populations with higher numbers, but in terms of overall impact the US is a very bad boy indeed. And that's before Trump pulled out. My view is that Trump will do major damage if he wins another term. Try to make bloody sure that doesn't happen. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Donuel Date: 30 Aug 17 - 09:16 AM Tribalism means what ever the other tribe believes, knows or does is wrong. Even an idiot can master tribalism. No one is immune to tribalism. Obama describes the American right wing tribe: "They get bitter, they cling to guns or religion or antipathy to people who aren't like them or anti-immigrant sentiment or anti-trade sentiment as a way to explain their frustrations." |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: gillymor Date: 30 Aug 17 - 08:47 AM If Twit comes to an end before his term is up an even dimmer wit is waiting in the wings: From MSNBC |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Donuel Date: 30 Aug 17 - 08:35 AM We would all agree that if Trump had not pulled out of the Paris Accord we would have still had the Harvey rainfall. ( Chaos theory could argue otherwise. ) No, The real damage Trump will cause, will come in extreme slow motion over decades and will stymie mitigating forces long after he is dead. Even if he dies on April 1st 2018. When he dies is not certain but that he will die is certain. Kinda reminds me of Climate Change. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: gillymor Date: 30 Aug 17 - 08:12 AM Millions of people homeless, billions of dollars worth of damage and the Asshole of the Free World goes to Texas and brags about his crowd size. deadline.com |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Stilly River Sage Date: 30 Aug 17 - 08:05 AM Iains you clearly choose to dismiss science, a foolish stance to take. The evidence is clear, is overwhelming, and for you to ignore it is your choice, but don't bother telling the world the science is wrong, because you're wrong. Now get your sorry ass out of this thread about Texas and the weather here if you don't have anything worthwhile to contribute. Over 50 inches of rain makes Harvey the single largest rainfall event ever here. Washington Post story. The Weather Bureau had to invent a couple of new colors of purple to reflect the depth and intensity of this storm. My part of Texas is drying out after the fringes of the storm soaked us for a couple of days. If we get flash flooding it'll be because we've already had an abnormally wet August, not because of Harvey. Houston is an example of what happens when public officials ignore experts and refuse to take natural risks seriously. As the country’s fourth-largest city expanded, replacing prairie with impermeable surfaces such as pavement and concrete, the land was rendered less and less capable of absorbing floodwater. Without proper adaptive measures, this made an already flood-prone place more vulnerable. A ProPublica and Texas Tribune investigation found last year that those who have overseen Houston’s flooding issues discounted scientists’ warnings as “anti-development.” In the coming months and years, the city may pay a high price for such shortsightedness." From here. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Stu Date: 30 Aug 17 - 06:25 AM "A sample size of one doesn't help." Huh? |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Iains Date: 30 Aug 17 - 06:12 AM CONSIDER IT PROVEN, idiot. Seems to me the idiot that posted the above knows not how science works. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Jim Carroll Date: 30 Aug 17 - 05:59 AM "Due to global warming. HYPOTHESIS until proven Until proven, we have to accept possibilities as a workable alternative - unless we wait until we are shouting "I told you so" from our rooftops The frighteningly visible speed at which the icecaps are melting are proof enough for me that it is malicious self-serving idiocy to walk away from Climate Change conferences. Jim Carroll |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Steve Shaw Date: 30 Aug 17 - 05:50 AM Well, BobL, I agree with your conclusion there, but the degree to which warming is anthropogenic is, in my opinion, far less debatable then you seem to be suggesting. Correlation never proves causality (we don't usually deal with proving things in science in any case), but the correlations are so shudderingly convincing that there is an almost 100% consensus in the world of science that we are the primary drivers of the warming. Plenty of people love to sneer at science, of course. Keep your antennae a-twitching for their self-interest being betrayed. As you say (I think), if there is solid evidence that we are causing warming then we have a moral obligation to act, and fast. That applies even if we don't accept the near-certainty or are not comfortable with the level of "proof." |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: BobL Date: 30 Aug 17 - 03:16 AM Hypothesis? Conjecture? Theory? Worldwide climate change is an observed fact. The extent to which human activity is a cause, or partial cause, is debatable. Correlation there may be, but this is not the same thing as causation. A sample size of one doesn't help. Nevertheless it's undeniable that if we are a cause, and we can do anything to lessen our impact, we'd better get on with it PDQ. It might already be too late. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Stilly River Sage Date: 29 Aug 17 - 09:20 PM Due to global warming. HYPOTHESIS until proven. CONSIDER IT PROVEN, idiot. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! (debate) From: Steve Shaw Date: 29 Aug 17 - 07:15 PM It is about passion and concern, Jeri. But you know how these things go. I suppose wishing good luck to Texas was a bit naive now that we've seen the devastation. We had floods in Cornwall in 1993 and 2004 but on nothing like this scale. But I saw enough close up to know that floodwater is dangerous, dirty and stinking and comes with an unstoppable, deadly, frightening power. It's a bad time to start belabouring people about global warming, etc. In the fulness of time, the events will inevitably fuel that debate. We're just not always good on timing on Mudcat. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Greg F. Date: 29 Aug 17 - 06:04 PM Looks like Anne Coulter agrees with Inanes, Too: "I don't believe Hurricane Harvey is God's punishment for Houston electing a lesbian mayor. But that is more credible than "climate change." |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Greg F. Date: 29 Aug 17 - 05:49 PM So tell us, Iains. Do you sit on your hands? Do nothing? Wait for "proof?" No, just votes for tRump - or would if he could - with the other science deniers. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Steve Shaw Date: 29 Aug 17 - 05:20 PM We do not "prove" hypotheses. No single event will ever prove man-made global warming. But the increasing incidence of extreme events adds up to evidence. That evidence is accumulating. Over the last two centuries, the graph of increasing carbon dioxide content of the atmosphere (man-made, bang to rights) has been an almost perfect match for the graph of rising global temperatures. So tell us, Iains. Do you sit on your hands? Do nothing? Wait for "proof?" We'll have all gone to hell in a handcart long before you get that. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Donuel Date: 29 Aug 17 - 03:54 PM god bless you who are splashing and thrashing about, REACTION People are called an asshole by someone with an opposing viewpoint, OPINION Setting aside the politics and ironies by extending a helping hand helps one at a time, COMPASSION. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Iains Date: 29 Aug 17 - 03:21 PM anomalous heating of the Gulf, up 4 degrees this year. FACT Due to global warming. HYPOTHESIS until proven. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Jim Carroll Date: 29 Aug 17 - 03:01 PM "Hurricanes have been a regular feature of life long before global warming was ever thought of." Sure they have Iains - but not to the extent that they have needed to be named alphabetically If you have any doubt as to the deplorable effect man is having on the environment, go watch a David Attenborough programme If things goon as they are, it won't be too long before we are sharing melting ice-floes with starving polar bears - or in some cases, camping out on the roofs of SUVs What does it take to wake you selfish people up? Jim Carroll |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Donuel Date: 29 Aug 17 - 02:40 PM I'll tell you what is anomalous heating of the Gulf, up 4 degrees this year. global warming Go back far enough and the Gulf froze several times, so what. A response is going on now and it is a dramatic matter of life and death. If denying climate change will help, go for it. I feel so helpless in MD. It was OCT 29 when hurricane Sandy struck NYC. The Texas Congressmen all voted against Federal help for Sandy victims. Today they are confident Trump and Congress will give them cash as long as they are not arrogant like the Yankees. Houston, you've got a problem . |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Iains Date: 29 Aug 17 - 01:41 PM "the hurricanes are now being attributed to GLOBAL WARMING" Hurricanes have been a regular feature of life long before global warming was ever thought of. Houston has had numerous previous flooding events and it was known that a hurricane making landfall anywhere near Houston would cause severe flooding. The city is cut through by rivers, bayous and flood channels and most of the adjacent areas comprise flood plain. Building in a flood plain by the sea is not a very good idea, especially when there is previous history of severe flooding events. It will be hard to prove that global warming directly influenced the energy buildup within this particular hurricane. It is more to do with anomalous heating of parts of the Gulf, as was the case with Katrina. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1029/2006GL026623/full |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Donuel Date: 29 Aug 17 - 01:05 PM Mrzzy, I'm going to stick with a world record rainfall. It is already the US record. In fact the whole idea of 1, 2 or3 thousand year floods along with the annual 500 year floods is total bullocks nowadays. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Jim Carroll Date: 29 Aug 17 - 12:53 PM "There is an opportunity for Trump to become a folk hero" Hopefully not, as the hurricanes are now being attributed to GLOBAL WARMING Jim Carroll |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Mrrzy Date: 29 Aug 17 - 12:17 PM Duplicate post - graphics here, including of floodwaters receding. |
Subject: RE: BS: Flippin' 'eck, good luck,Texans! From: Mrrzy Date: 29 Aug 17 - 12:09 PM Donuel, This has not happened in thousands of years anywhere on Earth is not true. I was in Abidjan a weekend we got a quarter of our annual rainfall, back in the 1970's. This stuff happens. It's rare, not unprecedented. Why do we build cities in floodplains, why do we build them so big they cannot possibly be evacuated, and why O why do people choose to live in them? How much money is the insurance industry making on this kind of thing? |