Reading Trumps’ sustained attack on the Democrats especially Governor Newsom is a tragedy on top of. But not really surprising, Trump is back on form playing the blame game and showing again what a complete waste of oxygen he is. Everyone who voted for this a-hole should be disgusted. Including all the NZers who think Trump is ka pai - I am looking at you John Key and your shitty sorted and wealthy mates.
Ye Gods what a start to the year - horrific scenes from LA with climate change writ large and terrible; an earthquake and more horrific scenes from Tibet; in Gaza and Ukraine the destruction and inhumanity continues unabated ... and the awful prospect that disgusting miscreant trump is about to gleefully infest the White House again - already proving how unfit for office he is with demented ravings about Canada, Panama and Greenland and now - no surprises there - lying viciously about California's Governor and water management there .... he doesn't possess a shred of humanity ... it's going to be a long hard four years. A wee glimmer of light here is the huge number of submissions to Seymour's tainted Treaty Principles Bill with an extension to same to bring yet more, the push back must be surprising the little twerp even if he won't admit it!
I’m a bit baffled about Trump’s claim he wants to “take the Panama Canal back”. I wonder if he’s given any thought about where he’s going to put it? I imagine there’s a few million people who would tell him where they’d like to see it go. I’m very much with them. It would probably fit.😊
Don't get bent out of shape trying to interpret trump's pronouncements about anything Jeremy, his is an increasingly dementing brain and it wasn't up to speed to begin with from accounts I've read from his family members, biographers and people who had the misfortune to work with him!
No chance of that Vicky, I’m just astounded that anyone would want to have anything to do with him. Many thanks for your concern though, much appreciated ❤️
You're welcome Jeremy, believe me I have many American friends that feel the same :/ .... as Dylan put it “money doesn't talk, it swears” - the GoP sycophants and billionaires kissing the ring have proven this lately!
My father was a diehard, NRA card carrying member Republican from Kansas,who died from Alzheimers some years ago. Even in his worst, wildest moments was he ever as delusional as the one who will be leading the free world in a few weeks. I’m glad he didn’t live to see the diabolical entity the country he loved has become.
My sympathy on your Dad's passing Jeremy, Alzheimers is cruel as is vascular dementia which my beloved husband battled for 13 months before he passed - I recognise symptoms in trump, worsened by his malignant narcissism. Just this week my niece's American MiL in San Diego sadly told her that she didn't recognise her country anymore, your Dad probably wouldn't either or know the GoP he used to follow.
Terrifying, but even worse is Trump's response. This is the future because we, as a collective on our planet, have ignored the warnings. Here in Aotearoa the summer deluges, slips, closures, unexpected snow, or winds, or heat. People still not recovered from last year.
I'm sad for that city. But.....sometimes, nature tells us it's not OK to build in danger zones. Have there been wildfires in the past?
In Australia, it's similar. It often burns, and has done in the past. Apparently, that's nature's way of renewing. We can try to overlay our "civilization" with all that accompanies it, but in the end, nature invariably wins.
It's not strictly a case of "nature" winning. Although the vegetation in California is fire adapted and fires are part of the renewal process (like much of Australia), climate change (e.g. prolonged drought and very high winds) have made fires more frequent and more fierce. Places that were safe before aren't anymore given climate breakdown. Much the same here with some of the flooding risks.
Yes, I take your point. We certainly don't, as a species, help anything by insisting on using fossil fuels and pretending everything just bowls along as before.
However, even if we destroy everything, Nature does have a way of reinventing Herself. It's just that we probably won't be around to see it.
Every time I hear that phrase "thoughts and prayers" my response is... a fat lot of use that is.
They need boots on the ground - thousands of them - and a determination to act NOW on the inevitable weather-related catastrophes that face the entire globe. The truth is: the average person prefers to act like an ostrich and pretend Climate Change doesn't exist. Instead, those same people in the US elected a baboon as president [yes, I know that is an insult to baboons} whose aim is to steal strategically placed countries and infrastructure, by force if necessary, and turn himself into the "King of the Planet".
Isn't that what the Soviet Union did last century that "the Free World" [namely the USA] was so exercised about for many decades?
The images captured on the internet of a man in his house surrounded by fire, with his dog and father? When I heard two had died, truly I thought of them. Another poster assured everyone they had been safely evacuated. I felt such a sense of relief. Having seen how fast fires spread in Australia because of the gas emitted by the trees to have their seeds cracked by the heat, I knew fire could leap five to ten kilometers. Utterly terrifying, as embers blow glowing in the local and "fire" wind, to land and start new fires. Houses made of plastic floorboards nylon carpets and oil based drapes and plastic /vinyl furniture which when heated melt and give off toxic fumes. We have seen devastation caused by fires in Spain, with people not able to out run the fast moving fires, but you are correct Nick, that we feel the loss of things and places made familiar in song and film. This is their dream world of wealth and prestige going up in smoke. Prayers indeed.
It’s a terrible situation over in LA, and it’s something we see happening somewhere in the world during each hemisphere’s dry seasons.
It’s not going to change, those in power are just not going to take climate change seriously, I’m convinced that they think their power and wealth will save them and that the millions that die are those they think of as beneath their attention.
Your friend Robin is right there needs to be a reset, and there will be, nature will see to it if we don’t make drastic changes, we’re getting enough hints.
I think it’s an indigenous North American saying, that ‘people cannot live without the earth, but the earth can live without people’ (something like that). It’s an accurate observation.
You expressed that terrible situation in Los Angeles very well Nick, & to remember that Trump, with his undoubted wisdom!!!, pulled USA out of the World Climate Change organisations when he was President preciously. Then Aotearoa/NZ has Shane Jones, plus a few others without a 'thinking brain'.
It is so sad especially all the people being displaced but also the history in those houses in the Hollywood Hills - all those California Design houses. Pointing fingers doesn't help or change anything. Big sigh! But on the bright side submissions for the Treaty Bill has been extended until 14 January.
Maybe thoughts and prayers have been answered as the USA continues to fund the genocide of the Palestinian people.
Whilst any loss of life to a natural disaster is incredibly sad it's almost impossible not to make the comparison to Gaza in viewing these photos.
Except there's a choice here. US could stop the genocide and ethnic cleansing with a phone call yet they unapologetically full the flames with their tax payer dollars.
It's possible to empathise with both. There's no need to deflect from the suffering of people and animals in the LA wildfires by swivelling to the genocidal destruction in Gaza. The US funding Israel has nothing to do with the wildfires we are seeing in LA. Please stop conflating these events - your thoughts and prayers are answered? What terrible god are you praying to for this conflagration? I lived in LA; I have friends who live there; they do not support what is happening in Gaza.
I'm with you, Vivi; aside from the sheer humanity and animality (?), these are among the most liberal people in the country; heck, given a decent voting system, I imagine a fair few of them would've voted for Jill Stein. In the end, we're all just people, and I imagine many of those affected abhor what is happening in Gaza.
Privatised water means that there is minimal available for the public good. A wealthy family with extensive agribusiness interests owns most of it and uses it for irrigation.
I couldn't help thinking of the situation I read the other day here, I think it was in Hawkes Bay, where people were being told to conserve water, but not those bottling water up and shipping it off. Madness.
so sickening that our aotearoa is slip sliding at a rapid rate of knots and trying to be like murikkka..we are worhipping those who amass massive and obscene wealth..our bald headed thumb and the sicko shonkey who has his hand so far up luxflakes arse its a wonder we cannot see his fingernails when his ugly gob is open...why cant people see how destuctive it all is..although millions of stupid mirikkkans voted against their own interests..and thousands of kiwis did too at the last election..will the world survive another 4 yrs of the utterly insane dementing rotting sub human that is the orange blob and all the lunatics he has surrounded himself with...we've done it here and i pray i live long enough to see these dropkicks voted out.. but wont hold my breathe...rip murikkka
Reading Trumps’ sustained attack on the Democrats especially Governor Newsom is a tragedy on top of. But not really surprising, Trump is back on form playing the blame game and showing again what a complete waste of oxygen he is. Everyone who voted for this a-hole should be disgusted. Including all the NZers who think Trump is ka pai - I am looking at you John Key and your shitty sorted and wealthy mates.
Ye Gods what a start to the year - horrific scenes from LA with climate change writ large and terrible; an earthquake and more horrific scenes from Tibet; in Gaza and Ukraine the destruction and inhumanity continues unabated ... and the awful prospect that disgusting miscreant trump is about to gleefully infest the White House again - already proving how unfit for office he is with demented ravings about Canada, Panama and Greenland and now - no surprises there - lying viciously about California's Governor and water management there .... he doesn't possess a shred of humanity ... it's going to be a long hard four years. A wee glimmer of light here is the huge number of submissions to Seymour's tainted Treaty Principles Bill with an extension to same to bring yet more, the push back must be surprising the little twerp even if he won't admit it!
I’m a bit baffled about Trump’s claim he wants to “take the Panama Canal back”. I wonder if he’s given any thought about where he’s going to put it? I imagine there’s a few million people who would tell him where they’d like to see it go. I’m very much with them. It would probably fit.😊
Don't get bent out of shape trying to interpret trump's pronouncements about anything Jeremy, his is an increasingly dementing brain and it wasn't up to speed to begin with from accounts I've read from his family members, biographers and people who had the misfortune to work with him!
No chance of that Vicky, I’m just astounded that anyone would want to have anything to do with him. Many thanks for your concern though, much appreciated ❤️
You're welcome Jeremy, believe me I have many American friends that feel the same :/ .... as Dylan put it “money doesn't talk, it swears” - the GoP sycophants and billionaires kissing the ring have proven this lately!
My father was a diehard, NRA card carrying member Republican from Kansas,who died from Alzheimers some years ago. Even in his worst, wildest moments was he ever as delusional as the one who will be leading the free world in a few weeks. I’m glad he didn’t live to see the diabolical entity the country he loved has become.
My sympathy on your Dad's passing Jeremy, Alzheimers is cruel as is vascular dementia which my beloved husband battled for 13 months before he passed - I recognise symptoms in trump, worsened by his malignant narcissism. Just this week my niece's American MiL in San Diego sadly told her that she didn't recognise her country anymore, your Dad probably wouldn't either or know the GoP he used to follow.
Couldn’t agree more Vicky!
Terrifying, but even worse is Trump's response. This is the future because we, as a collective on our planet, have ignored the warnings. Here in Aotearoa the summer deluges, slips, closures, unexpected snow, or winds, or heat. People still not recovered from last year.
I'm sad for that city. But.....sometimes, nature tells us it's not OK to build in danger zones. Have there been wildfires in the past?
In Australia, it's similar. It often burns, and has done in the past. Apparently, that's nature's way of renewing. We can try to overlay our "civilization" with all that accompanies it, but in the end, nature invariably wins.
It's not strictly a case of "nature" winning. Although the vegetation in California is fire adapted and fires are part of the renewal process (like much of Australia), climate change (e.g. prolonged drought and very high winds) have made fires more frequent and more fierce. Places that were safe before aren't anymore given climate breakdown. Much the same here with some of the flooding risks.
Yes, I take your point. We certainly don't, as a species, help anything by insisting on using fossil fuels and pretending everything just bowls along as before.
However, even if we destroy everything, Nature does have a way of reinventing Herself. It's just that we probably won't be around to see it.
"And we… ask for thoughts and prayers."
Every time I hear that phrase "thoughts and prayers" my response is... a fat lot of use that is.
They need boots on the ground - thousands of them - and a determination to act NOW on the inevitable weather-related catastrophes that face the entire globe. The truth is: the average person prefers to act like an ostrich and pretend Climate Change doesn't exist. Instead, those same people in the US elected a baboon as president [yes, I know that is an insult to baboons} whose aim is to steal strategically placed countries and infrastructure, by force if necessary, and turn himself into the "King of the Planet".
Isn't that what the Soviet Union did last century that "the Free World" [namely the USA] was so exercised about for many decades?
The images captured on the internet of a man in his house surrounded by fire, with his dog and father? When I heard two had died, truly I thought of them. Another poster assured everyone they had been safely evacuated. I felt such a sense of relief. Having seen how fast fires spread in Australia because of the gas emitted by the trees to have their seeds cracked by the heat, I knew fire could leap five to ten kilometers. Utterly terrifying, as embers blow glowing in the local and "fire" wind, to land and start new fires. Houses made of plastic floorboards nylon carpets and oil based drapes and plastic /vinyl furniture which when heated melt and give off toxic fumes. We have seen devastation caused by fires in Spain, with people not able to out run the fast moving fires, but you are correct Nick, that we feel the loss of things and places made familiar in song and film. This is their dream world of wealth and prestige going up in smoke. Prayers indeed.
It’s a terrible situation over in LA, and it’s something we see happening somewhere in the world during each hemisphere’s dry seasons.
It’s not going to change, those in power are just not going to take climate change seriously, I’m convinced that they think their power and wealth will save them and that the millions that die are those they think of as beneath their attention.
Your friend Robin is right there needs to be a reset, and there will be, nature will see to it if we don’t make drastic changes, we’re getting enough hints.
I think it’s an indigenous North American saying, that ‘people cannot live without the earth, but the earth can live without people’ (something like that). It’s an accurate observation.
Trump might say, “California, you’re fired!”, and this one time he would be right
You could have gone with Light my Fire by the Doors. Too soon?.
I'd go with Bad Religion - Los Angeles is Burning.
"When the hills of Los Angeles are burning
Palm trees are candles in the murder wind
So many lives are on the breeze
Even the stars are ill at ease
And Los Angeles is burning"
https://youtu.be/xfgqHremEAU?si=LOZ6Hzf942YwfzbT
There's a thread here discussing song options:
https://www.facebook.com/nrockel/posts/pfbid025aDVpDHD6McBdHFjoB2VJahQ1fe8i95JjnMD4qh87yCYJerYQ1wQ3BuoEDUxjHEcl
Maybe a bit soon Stephen, although the Doors “The End” could possibly make the charts soon? It’s about as apocalyptic as a song can get.
You expressed that terrible situation in Los Angeles very well Nick, & to remember that Trump, with his undoubted wisdom!!!, pulled USA out of the World Climate Change organisations when he was President preciously. Then Aotearoa/NZ has Shane Jones, plus a few others without a 'thinking brain'.
It is so sad especially all the people being displaced but also the history in those houses in the Hollywood Hills - all those California Design houses. Pointing fingers doesn't help or change anything. Big sigh! But on the bright side submissions for the Treaty Bill has been extended until 14 January.
Great summary thanks Nick. Here's some additional reading on the lies and disinformation around the fires, fyi.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2025/01/pacific-palisades-fire-altadena-santa-monica-los-angeles-donald-trump-elon-musk-misinformation-disinformation-lies-conspiracy-theories/?ref=theframelab.org
You are quite right !
Maybe thoughts and prayers have been answered as the USA continues to fund the genocide of the Palestinian people.
Whilst any loss of life to a natural disaster is incredibly sad it's almost impossible not to make the comparison to Gaza in viewing these photos.
Except there's a choice here. US could stop the genocide and ethnic cleansing with a phone call yet they unapologetically full the flames with their tax payer dollars.
It's possible to empathise with both. There's no need to deflect from the suffering of people and animals in the LA wildfires by swivelling to the genocidal destruction in Gaza. The US funding Israel has nothing to do with the wildfires we are seeing in LA. Please stop conflating these events - your thoughts and prayers are answered? What terrible god are you praying to for this conflagration? I lived in LA; I have friends who live there; they do not support what is happening in Gaza.
I'm with you, Vivi; aside from the sheer humanity and animality (?), these are among the most liberal people in the country; heck, given a decent voting system, I imagine a fair few of them would've voted for Jill Stein. In the end, we're all just people, and I imagine many of those affected abhor what is happening in Gaza.
Thanks, Nick — 100%
Privatised water means that there is minimal available for the public good. A wealthy family with extensive agribusiness interests owns most of it and uses it for irrigation.
I couldn't help thinking of the situation I read the other day here, I think it was in Hawkes Bay, where people were being told to conserve water, but not those bottling water up and shipping it off. Madness.
so sickening that our aotearoa is slip sliding at a rapid rate of knots and trying to be like murikkka..we are worhipping those who amass massive and obscene wealth..our bald headed thumb and the sicko shonkey who has his hand so far up luxflakes arse its a wonder we cannot see his fingernails when his ugly gob is open...why cant people see how destuctive it all is..although millions of stupid mirikkkans voted against their own interests..and thousands of kiwis did too at the last election..will the world survive another 4 yrs of the utterly insane dementing rotting sub human that is the orange blob and all the lunatics he has surrounded himself with...we've done it here and i pray i live long enough to see these dropkicks voted out.. but wont hold my breathe...rip murikkka
Hope I live long enough as well.