Update no.1184

 Update from the Sunland

No.1184

16.9.24 – 22.9.24

Blog version:  http://heartlandupdate.blogspot.com/

 

To all,

 

The follow-up news items:

-- USG filed US$103M suit against Grace Ocean Private Limited and Synergy Marine Private Limited, the Singaporean corporations that owned and operated the container ship MV Dali, the massive vessel that impacted the Key Bridge and caused its collapse [1159]. The bridge collapse closed the harbor for weeks, caused significant economic impact The charges claim negligent operations on multiple levels and placing profits over safety. This particular legal action seeks to recover the salvage operations costs involved in opening the harbor and specifically does not include potentially criminal charges for the deaths of six workers on the bridge that night nor the costs of restoring the Key Bridge.

Frankly, based on what we know about the condition of the ship before and during the incident, the companies should be denied an operating license for any commercial shipping. This is not about correcting bad management; it is about willful negligence and irresponsible maritime operations that led to deaths and millions, if not billions, in economic damage. The Dali had been unsafe for months, not just that night. I hope and trust this suit is only the beginning against these two companies.

 

Anita Chabria of the Los Angeles Times provided an exceptionally accurate observation of you know who. “Eight years of demonization, dehumanization, desensitization and denial. That’s the foolproof diet for growing an average Joe into a political vigilante, and Trump and crew has mastered how best to serve that meal, steaming hot and full of lies.” Spot on! ‘Nuf said! Drop the mic!

Chabria described the kind of person who should never be allowed remotely close to even the most basic instruments of state. He has no morals, no integrity, and no compassion. Add to that, he is a convicted felon who is still facing additional serious felony and civil charges, and he has not yet been sentenced for his last felony conviction.

 

On Tuesday, at 15:32 [lcl] in Lebanon, a signal went to an estimated 5,000 pagers held by Hezbollah leaders, operatives, and their supporters. The devices contained three grams (0.1 ounces) of PETN explosive material with a precise trigger mechanism and exploded near simultaneously. At least 12 have died so far, thousands were injured, and the death toll is expected to increase. The following day, it was walkie-talkies that exploded under similar circumstances. While innocent people were injured, the exploding electronic devices were targeted at the Hezbollah command and control network.

The sophisticated, well-planned attack was ingenious, well-thought out, and expertly executed. Hezbollah had abandoned smart phones and cellphones because of their perceived vulnerability and chosen instead pagers for internal communications. The attack demonstrated Israel’s meticulousness in planning and long-range thinking, and denied Hezbollah yet another means of communication. Fairly soon, they will be relegated to couriers, slowing their communications substantially. Hezbollah has vowed to retaliate although Israel has not claimed responsibility. Three grams of explosives accurately applied may have done more to disable Hezbollah than dozens of 2,000-pound bombs.

 

Comments and contributions from Update no.1183:

Comment to the Blog:

“According to Google Maps, I live 36 miles down US 40 from Springfield, Ohio. Most of Little Fingers’ blathering and Just Don’t Vance’s poison I don’t take too seriously, but they are harming my neighbors a great deal with the latest vile accusation, which I won’t repeat. The local word is that the Haitians re-settled (legally) in Springfield specifically because they were needed to fill jobs. Almost everyone was happy with that, but rural America has always had the lunatics that have come out in public as MAGAts.

“The left (including me) is casting doubt on this assassination attempt, too.

“I’m glad the booster landed safely. It’s a shame they couldn’t bring the humans back with it.

“Life tip: never debate an experienced prosecutor unless you have extreme debating skills. If the MAGAts had any insight whatever, they’d be deeply embarrassed by their boy’s performance.

“Our drought continues with no sign of breaking before November.”

My response to the Blog:

Oh my, you got that right! The exact same phenomenon has caused similar damage and harm in many other areas as well. Little Fingers and his MAGAts have enabled the far-right fringe to come out of the dark shadows into the mainstream of political vitriol. Now, they feed on each other. One ultra-right-wing whacko makes a foolish, unfounded accusation and Little Fingers and his sycophants reiterate the false claim multiple times because it serves their political purposes. And . . . they point their crooked fingers at the opponents for inciteful rhetoric. Go figure! There are seven more weeks of this silly season; it cannot end soon enough.

To be clear, this latest shooter was laying in wait. He did not have a clear line of sight from his location. But . . . Little Fingers and his entourage were playing toward the shooter when he was engaged by the Secret Service. You highlight one aspect. I am concerned that these criminal actions will instigate an escalation that could quickly spiral out of control. This has got to stop. Let us defeat Little Fingers at the polls. We must vote.

I imagine Boeing wanted to bring them home. NASA took a more cautious approach. The future of Starliner is now in serious question.

Excellent life tip. Little Fingers does not possess that level of debate skills.

I hope your drought passes soon. Nature is like that.

 . . . Round two:

“I’m inclined to think Little Fingers has an advisor similar to G. Gordon Liddy, but more successful.

“My absentee ballot has been approved and will be on its way in due time.

“Boeing is in deep trouble. The US Government ought to think about replacing them, one way or another. Among other things, they’re a major defense contractor. Oops.

“The drought is with us for the foreseeable future. Showers from the storm in the Carolinas have reached the Ohio River, but not enough to help us here.”

 . . . my response to round two:

Perhaps so. I have no idea. Regardless, we do not need him injured in any way. We need him as healthy as his old age can give him. We do not need a martyr. We absolutely need him decisively defeated at the ballot box in November; thoroughly embarrassed so that his MAGAt base is reduced to the minimum size possible.

Our mail in ballot will not arrive for another few weeks. We will post our votes as quickly as possible. We will have judges that must be researched.

Yes, Boeing is in deep trouble of their own making. This situation has been brewing for at least 30 years. The bill has come due.

Well, I hope not. We got some relief last winter. It could happen again.

 . . . Round three:

“I’d rather Little Fingers not be martyred. Making him a sympathetic figure would be the object of a Liddy-esque operation, and we’ll see if it works.

“The remedy for Boeing must not be left up to Boeing.

“The ‘foreseeable’ future isn’t the eternal future. We’ll get some rain or snow sometime. In the meantime, crops are lost and the metropolitan area uses a water reserve set up after the drought of ‘88.”

 . . . my response to round three:

If such an operation is afoot, I hope and trust it will not be successful. He needs to be soundly and embarrassingly defeated at the ballot box, convicted in court with due process, and sentenced to a prison cell.

Perhaps not. Boeing’s problem started with the Board of Directors.

I wish you relief soon.

 

My very best wishes to all.  Take care of yourselves and each other.

Cheers,

Cap                  :-)