Hi Mary, we cant get to your gathering if you rescheduled it. We lost everything. Crashing at a friends place on the westside. At a lve FEMA meeting now, and they just showed up for the 9:00 meeting.
Really sorry to read this. Thinking about the loss so many are faced with, I remembered this line from Slaughterhouse Five: "Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds. And what do the birds say? All there is to say about a massacre, things like “Poo-tee-weet?" Fortunately, this wasn't an actual massacre, but it was a firestorm and still weighs heavily with a stupefying numbness. I hope you have support from friends and family.
Now that's a cat that takes things more personally than most others.
There's going to be a lot of governmenting going on in the aftermath of this, dealing with demo, debris removal (to where?), codes for rebuilding, safety inspections, relocation of infrastructure, power and technology, etc. The billionaires will want the land, and the thousandaires will want the actual work. Glad that Newsom and Bass are in charge.
Leave it to the landlord here to identify the planes.
As for the close quarters in the air and the proximity to mother earth it is a testament to the pilot's flying skills, the work of the air traffic controllers overhead, and the firefighters on the ground that it was all done safely.
Hear hear! Pilots, air traffic controllers, firefighters, and even the aircraft maintenance crew so the craft were/are available for such constant, grueling use. Watching the videos as they scoop up water… Absolutely phenomenal and so efficient! I think Rob Hubbell is the person who explained that the budget issues are not what they might seem at first glance, that the aircraft dumping the water do the work of many many many firefighters, quell in an hour what might take those firefighters an entire day to quash… so many actuarials and factors to be considered, not a simple mathematic formula. The strategies to contain and gradually eliminate the flames are quite something to witness, in real time, videos, still shots… Aerial shots too…… Prayers all around, of course. Even though we’re all generating dialogue here, in some respects there really are “no words.”
They couldn't fight the fires up in the canyons if they didn't have aircraft. The lack of aircraft on Tuesday because of the high winds is why Pacific Palisades and Altadena got wiped out.
Yes, the wind! The strong, strong winds thwarted use of aircraft. Lawrence O’Donnell spent many minutes making the point of the wind! You have as well. Rob Hubbell, in his post late last night, apologizes for his rant, but I’m writing to him to say his animated vehemence - or his vehement animation - befits the circumstance, and he wears it well. He should not apologize. The intensity of his message, underscoring the role of the wind in all of this, the clarity, the impressive volume of factual information, statistics… it’s what’s called for if we’re going to beat back the lies, accusations, and twisted thinking by those politicizing the conflagration in Los Angeles.
Bless his Managing Editor, teaming up to post textbook-perfect prose nightly. It’s phenomenal. You as well… So productively active on the platform. This chorus of strong informed voices creates a tailwind for those of us paying attention, like a plane accelerating along the runway toward lift off.
My little third grade mind just created an image of a hot air balloon, lifting off, the source of that hot air the bloviating GOP while we check the weather stats and strategize our navigation to burst forward with more unified voice and action, highlighting and promoting what benefits the whole of “We, the people” during this countdown toward the date of the midterm election.
My four from the shelter are now 100% indoors and living the good life, but two of them are good hunters! A catnip mousie doesn't stand a CHANCE against them!
TC, you know we love and appreciate you and will keep on praying for your safety, whether you believe in prayer or not. Think of it as a reaching out to the cosmic love that somehow holds us all together, especially when life is reminding us in terrible ways of how fragile we really are. ( Catholic ex- nun here!) Look at the way people are extraordinarily helping one another through this devastation. This is the real soul of the U.S., total opposite to what Trump is pushing in his alternate reality schtick. In completely different ways this week ( Carter funeral and fires in CA) we have been given an early antidote to the greater poison that is coming.
( beautiful photos of the planes today--a terrible beauty as you said a few days ago.)
Max, my elderly senior rescue, is catloafing in solidarity.
I am so glad things seem to be settling down, but I'm not going to believe my daughter and the family is safe until things are officially completely out and done. And thank you for keeping us in the loop, Tom. It saved my sanity.
So glad you are safe. Thank you for your updates. I especially appreciate your highlighting the airborne efforts, and great photos of the planes at work.
WHEW! Been checking all morning hoping you'd clock in. Relieved to know things are looking so much better. Your photos are...so many words don't do justice to the situation. Scary and awe-ful...I'll stop there. And, as expected, the gigantic asshat is unable to do or say anything in the least helpful to anyone. You can bet not a dime of his is going to aid anyone affected.
Thanks for all the reporting and photos. Great big sigh of relief for you and Encino. Tears and grief for thousands of burned out families. Glad to see Phantom
I'm so happy to know your home wasn't destroyed by fire. I know the next few days are still sketchy, but I hope your luck holds. And afterwards, I hope you can get your mind and body to relax. Sending a hug from Memphis.
Someone once said, in a different context, that "it takes a village", and you've certainly grown that village of support here. It will take all of us and then some before LA is once again LA!!!, but it will get done. It would be nice if there was a plan to mitigate the chance of this happening again.
I saw a video this am showing a letter Newsom wrote to dumper regarding his and others trolling - mainly said " if you want to help rather than hinder this mess, come on out and join with me and others in doing so". (very much paraphrasing) I think it was an actual letter but having seen anything about it anywhere else (it was a podcast on Utube)
The gist was after the letter was sent - dumper shut up for a while!
Super job reporting this, Tom. We’re doing better in Pasadena weather-wise. Still a creepy feeling of never feeling completely safe.
Yes - after seeing it clear at sunset yesterday, I kept going outside through the evening to reassure myself it was staying that way.
Hi Mary, we cant get to your gathering if you rescheduled it. We lost everything. Crashing at a friends place on the westside. At a lve FEMA meeting now, and they just showed up for the 9:00 meeting.
Oh Ransom, I’m deeply sorry.
I’m frankly speechless…hoping you and others in similar situations now can give one another strength and solace🙏🏼
That's awful - My sincere sympathy to you, and I hope you keep us all appraised of how you are doing.
I am so sorry! Please know that you are in my prayers
That sucks.
Really sorry to read this. Thinking about the loss so many are faced with, I remembered this line from Slaughterhouse Five: "Everything is supposed to be very quiet after a massacre, and it always is, except for the birds. And what do the birds say? All there is to say about a massacre, things like “Poo-tee-weet?" Fortunately, this wasn't an actual massacre, but it was a firestorm and still weighs heavily with a stupefying numbness. I hope you have support from friends and family.
I am so sorry to hear that.
Hugs. Can't imagine how hard and heartbreaking the loss must be, Ransom.
I’m so sorry💔😢
Be safe, be well!💕
Now that's a cat that takes things more personally than most others.
There's going to be a lot of governmenting going on in the aftermath of this, dealing with demo, debris removal (to where?), codes for rebuilding, safety inspections, relocation of infrastructure, power and technology, etc. The billionaires will want the land, and the thousandaires will want the actual work. Glad that Newsom and Bass are in charge.
Leave it to the landlord here to identify the planes.
As for the close quarters in the air and the proximity to mother earth it is a testament to the pilot's flying skills, the work of the air traffic controllers overhead, and the firefighters on the ground that it was all done safely.
Hear hear! Pilots, air traffic controllers, firefighters, and even the aircraft maintenance crew so the craft were/are available for such constant, grueling use. Watching the videos as they scoop up water… Absolutely phenomenal and so efficient! I think Rob Hubbell is the person who explained that the budget issues are not what they might seem at first glance, that the aircraft dumping the water do the work of many many many firefighters, quell in an hour what might take those firefighters an entire day to quash… so many actuarials and factors to be considered, not a simple mathematic formula. The strategies to contain and gradually eliminate the flames are quite something to witness, in real time, videos, still shots… Aerial shots too…… Prayers all around, of course. Even though we’re all generating dialogue here, in some respects there really are “no words.”
They couldn't fight the fires up in the canyons if they didn't have aircraft. The lack of aircraft on Tuesday because of the high winds is why Pacific Palisades and Altadena got wiped out.
Yes, the wind! The strong, strong winds thwarted use of aircraft. Lawrence O’Donnell spent many minutes making the point of the wind! You have as well. Rob Hubbell, in his post late last night, apologizes for his rant, but I’m writing to him to say his animated vehemence - or his vehement animation - befits the circumstance, and he wears it well. He should not apologize. The intensity of his message, underscoring the role of the wind in all of this, the clarity, the impressive volume of factual information, statistics… it’s what’s called for if we’re going to beat back the lies, accusations, and twisted thinking by those politicizing the conflagration in Los Angeles.
Bless his Managing Editor, teaming up to post textbook-perfect prose nightly. It’s phenomenal. You as well… So productively active on the platform. This chorus of strong informed voices creates a tailwind for those of us paying attention, like a plane accelerating along the runway toward lift off.
My little third grade mind just created an image of a hot air balloon, lifting off, the source of that hot air the bloviating GOP while we check the weather stats and strategize our navigation to burst forward with more unified voice and action, highlighting and promoting what benefits the whole of “We, the people” during this countdown toward the date of the midterm election.
Ahhh, Phantom. I hope it is soon for you. You're a beautiful girl!
Signed, Artemis, also a beautiful girl, a dilute calico torby.
My dog’s name is Artemis.
Is your cat a hunter?
She and the others are all indoor kitties only since they were domesticated as feral kittens.
My four from the shelter are now 100% indoors and living the good life, but two of them are good hunters! A catnip mousie doesn't stand a CHANCE against them!
Oh I thought I replied to Ally who has a cat named Artemis. Is Artemis your cat, Tom?
Just that I thought it's a cool name.
I like it too. She’s the Goddess of the Hunt, her favorite activity, but now a bit too slow to catch a squirrel.
When we got our brother/sister pair, my wife searched for famous brother sister combos. Artemis and Apollo were what we chose.
N i c e :)
Indeed she is. Also an indoor cat!
TC, you know we love and appreciate you and will keep on praying for your safety, whether you believe in prayer or not. Think of it as a reaching out to the cosmic love that somehow holds us all together, especially when life is reminding us in terrible ways of how fragile we really are. ( Catholic ex- nun here!) Look at the way people are extraordinarily helping one another through this devastation. This is the real soul of the U.S., total opposite to what Trump is pushing in his alternate reality schtick. In completely different ways this week ( Carter funeral and fires in CA) we have been given an early antidote to the greater poison that is coming.
( beautiful photos of the planes today--a terrible beauty as you said a few days ago.)
Max, my elderly senior rescue, is catloafing in solidarity.
I am so glad things seem to be settling down, but I'm not going to believe my daughter and the family is safe until things are officially completely out and done. And thank you for keeping us in the loop, Tom. It saved my sanity.
So glad you are safe. Thank you for your updates. I especially appreciate your highlighting the airborne efforts, and great photos of the planes at work.
If it wasn't for t he airplanes, Los Angeles would be flattened.
We are with you all the way Tom, from here in eastern Pennsylvania… ❤️
…as well as from Cape Cod, MA.
Whew, good news is welcome. Thanks for the uodates!
WHEW! Been checking all morning hoping you'd clock in. Relieved to know things are looking so much better. Your photos are...so many words don't do justice to the situation. Scary and awe-ful...I'll stop there. And, as expected, the gigantic asshat is unable to do or say anything in the least helpful to anyone. You can bet not a dime of his is going to aid anyone affected.
But he may have a stash of paper towels that he will pitch to a family in need of a home…
Thanks for all the reporting and photos. Great big sigh of relief for you and Encino. Tears and grief for thousands of burned out families. Glad to see Phantom
I'm so happy to know your home wasn't destroyed by fire. I know the next few days are still sketchy, but I hope your luck holds. And afterwards, I hope you can get your mind and body to relax. Sending a hug from Memphis.
Someone once said, in a different context, that "it takes a village", and you've certainly grown that village of support here. It will take all of us and then some before LA is once again LA!!!, but it will get done. It would be nice if there was a plan to mitigate the chance of this happening again.
So relieved to know that you're safe.
Happy to hear that you’re out of immediate danger and hoping that continues. Firefighters and pets are a blessing!
Thank YOU,TC,for being here and reporting despite all you have been/are going through…
I’ve been sharing tGavin Newsome’s great resource for fighting the firestorm 🔥of lies.
https://gavinnewsom.com/california-fire-facts/
I saw a video this am showing a letter Newsom wrote to dumper regarding his and others trolling - mainly said " if you want to help rather than hinder this mess, come on out and join with me and others in doing so". (very much paraphrasing) I think it was an actual letter but having seen anything about it anywhere else (it was a podcast on Utube)
The gist was after the letter was sent - dumper shut up for a while!
HAVENT seen anything!
Maggie,the letter is linked to in this article.
https://calmatters.org/environment/wildfires/2025/01/trump-los-angeles-fire-aid-newsom/
Thanks, Kathy - appreciate the link.