Gee, another extreme weather event

~ susie ~ 3 Comments

cat5

Cyclone Marcia, a Category 5 storm, hit the coast of Queensland, Australia yesterday. Nary a mention in U.S. media, and certainly no talk of all these RECORD-BREAKING WEATHER EVENTS we’re having lately. Hmm.

Authorities say it’s now too late for the 30,000 Queenslanders in the direct path of this category-five storm to evacuate, AAP reports.

The core of the cyclone is now starting to affect parts of the central Queensland coast, with the town of Yeppoon to feel the full brunt of its winds and its destructive storm surge, which could destroy low-lying homes.

Marcia is packing winds gusting to 285km/h, a force that’s expected to destroy older homes in the area that have not been built to modern cyclone standards.

At about 7.45am (AEST), the cyclone was less than 100km from Yeppoon.

State Emergency Services Assistant Commissioner Peter Jeffrey says the time for preparations has passed.

“It’s time to essentially brace, make safe for yourself, and make safe for your family,” he told the Nine Network.

Premier Annastacia Palaszczuk said the 30,000 people who live in Yeppoon and surrounding communities are most at risk.

But the threat extends to a vast swathe of the coast, with a 2.6-metre storm surge expected on top of the normal high tide level.

Rockhampton, south of Yeppoon, is also in the firing line with Marcia still expected to be a strong category three cyclone when it hits there, after tracking south over land.

Tra la la!

Slave labor in Louisiana

~ susie ~ 3 Comments
Via In These Times.
Via In These Times.

If it wasn’t for these worker visas, employers might have to pay a living wage and provide safe working conditions! Can’t have that:

NEW ORLEANS—Yesterday, a jury awarded over $14 million in damages to the plaintiffs of David v. Signal International, the first of a series of lawsuits that together constitute one of the largest human trafficking and forced labor cases in U.S. history. After more than four weeks of testimony and several days of deliberations, the jury found that marine construction company Signal International and its agents engaged in human trafficking, forced labor and racketeering, among other violations.

It is “an historic verdict,” said Alan Howard, lead counsel for the plaintiffs, “finding damages against every defendant on every single claim that we brought, and finding punitive damages against every defendant for every claim for which we were entitled to ask for punitive damages.” Signal must pay over $12 million to the five plaintiffs, while the company’s recruiter and its immigration lawyer must pay over $900,000 each.

The original suit, filed on behalf of almost 600 Indian welders and pipefitters, alleged that the workers had been lured to the United States with false promises of green cards, which enable permanent residency. They paid $11,000-25,000 in recruiting fees for the opportunity, the complaint said, selling property, pawning jewelry, and taking out high-interest loans to finance the fees. The suit was brought by the Southern Poverty Law Center, a nonprofit civil rights organization, which enlisted the cooperation of several top law firms to litigate multiple cases pro bono after the original was not certified as a class action.
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Changing the game

~ susie ~ 3 Comments

During the Game: Phillies vs. Atlanta Braves Baseball Game, Citizens Bank Ballpark, Philadelphia, PA

It’s a start, I suppose. I love the game, but it has not escaped my attention how few kids watch baseball anymore, and the marathon games have a lot to do with it. If we want a future for the sport, they have to speed things up! They could always start enforcing Rule 8.04, which says if no one’s on base, pitchers must deliver the ball within 15 seconds after they have it in their hands. It’s supposed to be called a ball, but I’ve only read about it, not ever seen it. But I’d much rather see them lower the mound, stop changing pitchers every inning, and enforce a standard strike zone (yes, boys, instant replay):

The verdict from Major League Baseball’s pace-of-game committee is in, and according to Fox Sport’s Ken Rosenthal, tomorrow MLB will announce three rule changes designed to speed up games:

  1. Managers must challenge replays from dugout.
  2. Batters must keep one foot in box unless an established exception occurs.
  3. Play to resume promptly once broadcast returns from commercial break.

If properly enforced, these changes might actually have the desired effect of speeding up the game without measurably altering it otherwise. The first one change probably won’t do much—I can imagine a worst case scenario where managers amble out to argue with an umpire, before returning to the dugout to challenge—but the second two could.

Exploiting dead cops

~ susie ~ 1 Comment

Patrick Lynch - Cartoon

Yes, that would be Pat Lynch, the NYPD’s PBA president who’s running for reelection:

The outspoken president of one of New York’s main police unions has come under fire for a campaign video critics say exploits the deaths of two NYPD officers who were killed in an attack in December.

Some officers from New York City’s 84th precinct, where officers Wenjian Liu and Rafael Ramos worked, are upset that the video includes an image of Patrolmen’s Benevolent Association (PBA) president Patrick Lynch attending a makeshift memorial for the officers, according to a report by the New York Daily News.

“It’s disgusting,” said an officer assigned to the 84th precinct, according to the newspaper. “I just don’t think a death of a cop should be used as an election tool.”

The video, which runs just over a minute, shows a series of images of Lynch dressed in blue, some taken at the Brooklyn street corner where the officers were shot by Ismaaiyl Brinsley, a 28-year-old with a history of mental health problems, while sitting in their patrol car on 20 December. As the photos of Lynch appear, the video states: “He has brought back pride to the PBA” and “unmatched dedication to the members” and “re-elect team Lynch in 2015”.

More layers

~ susie ~ 6 Comments

Bundled Up!

How cold is it? Let me put it this way: I was meeting a friend downtown for dinner last night, and the wind chill was 20 below. I wore leggings, pants, wool socks, suede boots with wool lining, a tank top, a flannel shirt, a fleece pullover, a neck scarf, a down-filled parka, a wool hat, and suede fleece-lined gloves.

I thought I was overdoing it, but I was FREEZING. Even in the restaurant, I was a little cold, and my feet never really did thaw out. I may have mentioned something to my friend about a desire to cut Jim Imhofe’s balls off with a rusty knife, but under the circumstances, it was understandable.

Wheels

~ susie

I wish you’d never even loved me
Makes it so hard to live without you now.

I always wondered why more people don’t know this song, because it’s such a classic crying in your beer song. Maybe it’s just too raw. Maria McKee with Lone Justice: