Categories
People Weather

A return to normalcy

We’ve been through two major weather events in the last few months in Savannah: Debby and now Helene.

Our home didn’t flood during Debbie, and didn’t lose power in either system since our subdivision has buried lines. We did have several hours of power cycling and had to turn major appliances off at the breaker but power never went completely out for more than 1/2 hour.

We also lost roof shingles and the emergency repair on them was a bite out of the wallet, but we could pay it. We have lost internet access, first because of the power loss, and after power was restored, because AT&T Fiber had a break in the line and is still waiting on a permit to dig to repair it.

We’re retired so we haven’t suffered loss of wages. And by having power, we haven’t had to throw anything away in our refrigerator.

We, individually, and generally throughout the Savannah area have not suffered the devastation that communities in Florida, south-central Georgia, and especially Tennessee and North Carolina have suffered. In particular, the floods from Helene have taken out entire towns in North Carolina, and isolated communities throughout the western part of the state. Sadly, over a hundred lives have been lost in several states, both because of Debby and now Helene.

Each community impacted by these storms has suffered as a consequence of them, though the amount of impact can be drastically different in each. But, big or small, impacts because of natural disasters leave everyone feeling vulnerable. And the solution to that vulnerability is normalcy.

Categories
Photography Writing

Silent Sunday and future writing

I am writing a longish piece on Project 2025 and immigration. Until it’s finished, here’s a few friends from the George’s Pond area.

Largish Alligator on bank, warily looking at photographer, above a clear marsh pond
Alligator on bank
Categories
Photography

Silent Sunday Sept 15 2024

Categories
Media Political

That Debate Thing

And this is what I waited for: The text transcript of the debate.

Trump didn’t become unhinged during the debate, he was unhinged from the start. He just got louder and more bellicose during the debate. And VP Harris played him like a fiddle.

From the transcript…people have to stop calling him President Trump. It’s either former President Trump or Mr. Trump. Journalists who don’t do this are doing everyone a disservice.

The moderators didn’t control Trump as well as they should. He was able to give rebuttals that weren’t allowed under the rules. He told Harris at one point to basically shut up.

I did, however, appreciate them actually doing some fact checking. And the push back and willingness to bring a topic back up because Trump didn’t answer the question. I thought they did a decent job. They could have done better, but considering Trump I think they did the best they could.

Did Kamala Harris fudge some stuff? Yup, and I have no problem with it. When the media normalizes what Trump says, and he lies continuously, it’s past time for us to make the points that really need to be made. I hate to say it but politics in this day is all about sound bites, and we need to realize this or continue to cede control of the country to Trump, DeSantis, Abbott, Marjorie Taylor Greene, and their like.

There was nothing of substance in this debate, because substance doesn’t work when you’re running against a fraud like Trump. It certainly doesn’t work with a Republican party like it is today. Hilary Clinton tried to focus on substance in her debate with Trump, as Biden did with his. It doesn’t work. Until Republicans actually have a candidate who isn’t a serial liar like Trump, debates are sound bites and gotchas.

Harris and her team know how to campaign against Trump. And the media isn’t altogether happy about it.

PS: No one is eating anyone’s pet in Springfield, Ohio.

Debate transcript

Categories
Government Weather

Georgia Emergency Management sends Debby disaster request to President

Some good news for Georgians impacted by Debby.

The Georgia Emergency Management Agency has sent a package containing statewide damage assessments to the President, asking him to make a disaster declaration for Georgia. The value given was $20.7 million, barely passing the required minimum of $20 million for the state. But it does pass, and a disaster declaration should be forthcoming once FEMA has done due diligence.

As I noted in an earlier piece, if the folks of Project 2025 had their way, we would not have met the minimum and Georgia would not be getting any FEMA disaster declaration funds. Thankfully, it’s 2024.

TS Debby disaster declaration request sent to President Biden, says CEMA director

Debby does Project 2025