How Long Shall The Wicked Reign Over My People?

How Long, How Long?

Number of the Day: 2,864,974. (Popular vote differential.)

Fuck the gawd-damned Electoral College too.

Really Bad Signs

Detail.

if ....

This reporter doesn't mind posting it at all.

5. As much as I hate to post this, given how much people are talking about this story, and that it involves the president's club, his supporters, and an organization that supports him, here's the video in question: pic.twitter.com/qqtllitsIP

— Yashar Ali 🐘 (@yashar) October 14, 2019

Of course both sides do it. "The Left" did it. 50+ yrs. ago. Die, pigs.

The Day Before Yesterday In Theocratic Fascism

Jeff Parrott South Bend / South Bend Tribune:

William Barr says lawyers must fight against ‘secularists’ assault on organized religion
Kevin Daley / The Daily Caller:   Bill Barr Flames ‘Unremitting Assault’ On Religion, Traditional Values During Notre Dame Visit

David Shortell / CNN:Barr slams attacks on religious values, says ‘moral upheaval’ leading to societal ills
John Gallagher / LGBTQ Nation:   One of Trump's anti-LGBTQ judges issues a dissent best described as ‘whackdoodle’
Taegan Goddard / Political Wire:   Barr Blames ‘Moral Upheaval’ for Societal Ills
Justine Coleman / The Hill:   Barr bemoans ‘moral upheaval’ that has brought ‘suffering and misery’

Did AG Barr really just paraphrase ... Mein Kampf?

I mean. It sure looks like he did.

Right? https://t.co/gnWHBPDDC3

— Nathan H. Rubin (@NathanHRubin) October 13, 2019

75 Yrs. Ago: Friday The 13th Afloat

FRI 13 OCT 1944
Pacific
During Japanese aerial counterattacks in the wake of TF 38 strikes on Formosa (see 12 October), carrier Franklin (CV-13) is damaged when a kamikaze slides across her flight deck and crashes nearby, 22°55'N, 123°12'E; heavy cruiser Canberra (CA-70), in TG 38.1, is damaged by aerial torpedo only 85 miles from Formosa, 22°48'N, 123°01'E. While heavy cruiser Wichita (CA-45) takes Canberra in tow, Cruiser Division 13 (three light cruisers under Rear Admiral Laurance T. DuBose), four destroyers from TG 38.3, and two from TG 38.1 are detached to provide cover. Fleet tug Munsee (ATF-107) relieves Wichita of towing Canberra and the group sets course for Ulithi.

Submarine Bergall (SS-320) sinks Japanese merchant tanker Shinshu Maru off Nha Trang, French Indochian, 11°52'N, 109°20'E.

British submarine HMS Sturdy sinks Japanese merchant coasters Kosei Maru and Hansei Maru in Gulf of Boni, south of Celebes.

Peleliu Island, Palaus, is secured.

Architectural Detail (Reinforced)

Casus Belli?

New York Times:
12 Hours.  4 Syrian Hospitals Bombed.  One Culprit: Russia.  —  The Russian Air Force has repeatedly bombed hospitals in Syria in order to crush the last pockets of resistance to President Bashar al-Assad, according to an investigation by The New York Times.
New York Times:   Russia Bombed Four Syrian Hospitals. We Have Proof.

This reporter is bored w/ breathing; now can we nuke these bastards from the face of the Earth?

YourMeat

Can't wait to get some chops & maybe a roast here.

Heavy Air Strikes Hurled

THU 12 OCT 1944
Pacific
TF 38 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) hurls heavy air strikes against Japanese shipping, aerodromes, and industrial plants on Formosa, regarded as the strongest and best-developed base south of the homeland proper, and on northern Luzon. Strikes draw heavy Japanese aerial counterattacks off Formosa during which destroyer Prichett (DD-561) is damaged by friendly fire, 22°08'N, 123°19'E. TF 38 planes sink transport Asaka Maru, cargo ship Shirotai Maru, army cargo ship Mitsuki Maru, and merchant tankers No.6 Horai Maru, No.23 Nanshin Maru, and No.26 Nanshin Maru off the Pescadores, 23°30'N, 119°34'E; and transports Bujo Maru and Joshu Maru, army cargo ship Yamahagi Maru, merchant cargo ships Gyoun Maru, Hakko Maru, No.11 Tenjin Maru and No.1 Takatomi Maru, and merchant tankers No.5 Nanshin Maru, No.11 Nanshin Maru and No.20 Nanshin Maru, dredge Niitaka Maru, and damage tanker Eiho Maru and army cargo ship Shinto Maru off Takao, 22°37'N, 119°34'E. Also damaged at Takao is German ship Havenstein Japanese cargo vessels Taisho Maru, Taihoku Maru, and, at Keelung, Hakozaki Maru.

TF 38 planes also sink merchant cargo ship Shinan Maru in Putai harbor, 23°22'N, 120°10'E. Destruction of Japanese air power on Formosa paves way for USAAF B-29 bomber strikes on aircraft plant and airfield facilities on the island on 14 and 16 October 1944. Air strikes on the Formosa area sink Japanese transport Josho Maru, and army cargo ship Yamahagi Maru, off Takao; army ship Mitsuki Maru and merchant tanker No.6 Horai Maru, off Mako; Japanese cargo ship Shirotai Maru is sunk by mine off Mako.

Motor torpedo boat PT-368, damaged by grounding, western New Guinea, 01°59'N, 127°57'E, is scuttled by demolition charges.

Submarine Ray (SS-271) sinks Japanese transport Toko Maru near Cape Cavalite, Mindoro, 13°32'N, 120°21'E, and survives counterattack by torpedo boat Hiyodosi and Coast Defense Vessel No.2.

Submarine Trepang (SS-412) damages Japanese destroyer Fuyuzuki off Omaesuki, 33°56'N, 138°09'E.

British submarine HMS Strongbow sinks Japanese cargoship Manryo Maru in Strait of Malacca, 02°50'N, 100°50'E.

Is Today Really Columbus Day?

Not just the "actual" vs. observed deal, but as 12 October 1492 was under the Julian calendar (not the current Gregorian one)

Currently (1901–2099), the Julian calendar is 13 days behind the Gregorian calendar.

shouldn't we have celebrated actual "actual" Dago Day 30 September?

Forms

Casus Belli?

Which do we bomb from high & far away (in our cowardly American way) first, Apple, or the People's Republic?

BuzzFeed News:
Sources: in early 2018, Eddy Cue and Morgan Wandell, Apple's international TV lead, asked some Apple TV+ show creators to avoid portraying China in a poor light  —  We thought trade would bring Western values to China.  Instead, it brought Chinese values to Apple.
Ryan Mac / @rmac18:   “In early 2018 as development on Apple's slate of exclusive Apple TV+ programming was underway, the company's leadership gave guidance to the creators of some of those shows to avoid portraying China in a poor light.” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
John Gruber / Daring Fireball:   Tim Cook's Company-Wide Memo on HKmap.live Doesn't Add Up
Pastebin:   Team, You have likely seen the news that we made the decision to remove an ap
Josh Kraushaar / @hotlinejosh:   Like the relationship between Trump and the GOP: “We thought trade would bring Western values to China. Instead, it brought Chinese values to Apple.” https://www.buzzfeednews.com/ ...
Sissi Cao / Observer:   Apple CEO Tim Cook Gives Lame Explanation for Censoring Pro-Hong Kong Apps in China
Lucas Nolan / Breitbart:   Apple CEO Tim Cook Defends Blacklisting Hong Kong Protest Tracking App
Dave Mark / The Loop:   ∞ China, Catalina, and Apple bashing
more at Techmeme »
Dave McMenamin / ESPN:
NBA enacts temporary policy barring media sessions during its games in China; China mandated that NBA commissioner cancel his pregame news conference Thursday
George Ramsay / CNN:   The NBA cancels media access for the remainder of China trip
@yair_rosenberg:   Wow, this is chilling. The NBA minder shuts down CNN's question here and refuses to let the players answer it. Not only are they acting as China's censors for their employees, they're now bringing China's suppression of the critical press to our shores. https://twitter.com/...
Brian Fleurantin / NetsDaily:   Breakfast and basketball 2: Nets and Lakers end an eventful week in China
Foreign Policy:   Trade War Pause Leaves Few Happy
Dylan Gwinn / Breitbart:   Silenced: NBA Cancels Media Availability for Remainder of China Trip
Adam Gold / @agoldfan:   I mean, I get not wanting to put players in a tough situation. But, this is a very bad look for the NBA who appears to be bending over backwards to appease China. https://www.espn.com/...
Caleb Parke / Fox News:   Pompeo calls foul on NBA's China treatment
Brakkton Booker / NPR:   NBA Calls Off News Conferences For Players In China As Controversy Lingers
@deadondavev:   Shutting down the media to avoid answering real questions. Big shocker there! NBA: No media availability for rest of China trip http://www.espn.com/... via @ESPN App https://www.espn.com/app
Jay Rigdon / Awful Announcing:   NBA cancels all media availability for the duration of the Lakers and Nets trip to China
Reuters:   NBA says no media sessions for Nets, Lakers for rest of China trip -ESPN reporter
Brian Lewis / New York Post:   NBA nixes media availability for rest of China trip
Ben Church / CNN:   CNN anchor shut down for asking question about the NBA's standoff with China
Nick Statt / The Verge:
Quartz says its website has been blocked in China and its app has been removed from the App Store due to government complaints about its coverage of HK protests
Bill Werde / Billboard:   Banned in China: Why the Music Biz Should Be Watching NBA, ‘South Park’ Dramas (Guest Column)
April Glaser / Slate:   Apple Is Picking a Side
South China Morning Post:   Six times Apple gave in to China
Stephen Nellis / Reuters:   Apple CEO Cook defends removal of police-tracking app used in Hong Kong
Lucas Nolan / Breitbart:   Google Blacklists Hong Kong Protest Game for ‘Capitalizing on Sensitive Events’< Charlie Wood / Business Insider:   Hong Kong lawmaker who relied on the banned HKMap Live app warns Apple from becoming an 'accomplice …
Fortune:   Apple CEO Tim Cook Defends Decision to Drop Hong Kong Protest Map From App Store After China Complaint
Kyle Sammin / The Federalist:   Trade With China Has Turned Into Giving Away Our Values For Their Money
Ben Lovejoy / 9to5Mac:   Hong Kong app: Lawmaker asks Tim Cook to prioritize ‘values over profits’
Andy Ihnatko / @ihnatko:   Apple is REQUIRED to make a clear explanation for this. Because if — IF — they removed a news app from a country's App Store because it was reporting news critical of that government, then Apple has _reprehensibly_ abdicated its moral obligation to Apple users worldwide. https://twitter.com/...
Dylan Curran / The Guardian:   I'm a Blizzard gamer. I am boycotting them over their Hong Kong censorship
Ben Conarck / @conarck:   Good example of why news outlets can't afford to cede publishing to the tech giants. We need to be in charge of distribution of our content, not FB, not Apple. https://twitter.com/...
Avi Asher-Schapiro / @aaschapiro:   Apple has decided to remove the news website Quartz from the Chinese App Store. Quartz says its retaliation for its “ongoing coverage of the Hong Kong protests.” This is not new territory for Apple—they did the same thing to the New York Times in 2017. https://www.theverge.com/...
John Keefe / @jkeefe:   Apple just took the Quartz app out of the Chinese app store at the request of China, and http://qz.com is now blocked from mainland China. Our excellent @qz coverage of ongoing Hong Kong protests may be the reason: https://qz.com/...
John Michael McGrath / @jm_mcgrath:   Guys, I'm beginning to think — hear me out here — that massive corporations with global reach controlling the basic infrastructure of free expression might be a bad thing. https://twitter.com/...
Jason Kottke / kottke.org:   What to Expect When Expecting the Displeasure of the Chinese Government
more at Techmeme»

Do not think for one moment that Tim Cook or N.B.A. Commish Adam Silver wouldn't sell you personally into a Chinese labor camp/'phone factory if either one could make a crisp ten-dollar bill on the deal.

Suns Through Smoke

Bird, no dishes.

Dishes, no bird.

Tang & Trepang Sink Ships

WED 11 OCT 1944
Pacific
In preparation for operations against Formosa, TG 38.1 (Vice Admiral John S. McCain) and TG 38.4 (Rear Admiral Ralph E. Davison) attack Japanese airfields and other facilities on the north coast of Luzon; task group planes damage escort destroyer Yashiro off San Vicente and cargo vessel No.6 Banei Maru off Aparri.

Submarine Tang (SS-306) sinks Japanese merchant cargo ships Joshu Go and Oita Maru in Formosa Strait, 25°00'N, 121°00'E.

Submarine Trepang (SS-412) sinks Japanese landing ship T.105 off Honshu, 33°18'N, 137°42'E.

USAAF B-24 sinks Japanese motor sail ship Hash_ [sic] Maru off Tacloban, P.I.

Japanese merchant vessel Sumiei Maru is damaged by aircraft, Takao, Formosa.

Atlantic
Tank landing craft LCT-293 founders and sinks in heavy weather in English Channel.

Fire Watch 2019

Info O.D.

Fi-yah!

SoCal burning, here are a few pix. All five local network O&Os in full-time Breaking News mode; no soap operas or chat shows today.

Television Skies

Jonathan Chait on the thing in the White House:

It might seem like Trump is unable to focus on his text because he is bored with the presidency. The truth is slightly different. He sees the presidency as a means to the end of positive television coverage. Here is Trump describing his great election victory:

That was one of the greatest nights in the history of television … It was one of the highest rated evenings in the history of television. You add up all those networks.

One of the greatest nights in the history of television. The president of the United States thinks of his own election as a show that he watched on TV.

Nothing is real.

Infrastructure Clusterfuck Wk. Continues

As we type all the local commercial (English language) stations but NBC & CBS are Live from Hell as Sylmar burns.

By JOSEPH SERNA  STAFF WRITER

OCT. 11, 2019

 

12:56 AM

The Saddleridge fire in the San Fernando Valley exploded to 1,600 acres early Friday amid powerful Santa Ana winds, threatening numerous foothill communities and closing the 210 and 5 freeways.

The fire, which started in Sylmar, is moving rapidly to the west toward Granada Hills and Porter Ranch. Hundreds of homes were threatened across a wide area, and choppers were making night water drops in hopes of slowing the fire.

The fire was first reported about 9 p.m. on the north side of the 210 Freeway, but with winds gusting up to 60 mph, firebrands soared over the 210 and 5 freeways and ignited more dry brush. A 30-acre spot fire broke out west of Balboa and pushed west, officials said.

Evacuations have been ordered for Oakridge Estates, Glenoaks and the Foothill area.

“If you live in that area, please just pack up and leave now,” Margaret Stewart of the Los Angeles Fire Department said during an interview with Fox 11.

Firefighters were throwing everything they could at the blaze through the night.

They deployed bulldozers, multiple helicopters and, remarkably, a fixed-wing aircraft making retardant drops under the cover of darkness. State fire regulations prohibit flying fixed-wing after dark but the aircraft was with the U.S. Forest Service, said Los Angeles Firefighter John Ferrer.

“It is unusual,” Ferrer acknowledged. “It’s probably because the incident is so dynamic.”

The fire was pushing both east and west, running parallel to the 210 freeway.

Firefighters were concerned with its westward push, which would eventually get it close to new developments and Topanga Canyon, Ferrer said. There are few options for firefighters against a wind-driven fire with lots of things to burn.

“Because of the wind-driven factor, it creates a more defensive posture for firefighters,” Ferrer said. “We wait until the wind dies down and can deploy adequate resources to contain the flanks of the fire and an early morning attack on the fire. But at this time we’re in flux.”

At least one business was burned and local news broadcasts showed several homes and an apartment complex on fire.

More spot fires popped up on the valley floor beneath power lines and near other buildings, further spreading firefighters’ resources thin.

Firefighters were focusing their air attack on the rear of the fire in the hills, Stewart said, while firefighters on the ground were defending structures.

Winds were blowing at about 10 to 15 mph on the valley floor and about 25 mph in the foothills above Sylmar, with gusts as strong as 60 mph. The air remains extremely dry and primed to encourage fire growth, the National Weather Service said.

The California Highway Patrol shut down the 210 Freeway in both directions between the 5 and 118 freeways. The 5 freeway was closed between Balboa and the 210 freeway. There was no indication of when the freeways would reopen.

About 10:50 p.m., the Los Angeles Police Department issued a citywide tactical alert in response to the fire. The department is working with the Los Angeles Fire Department “to carry out any necessary evacuations,” the LAPD tweeted. ”We urge you to be prepared & follow all public safety instructions.”

https://twitter.com/LAPDHQ/status/1182533999492657152

CHP dispatch logs showed many motorists calling 911 reporting they were stuck on the freeway because of the fire. One person said they were scared that the network of high-voltage power lines that dominate the skyline in that area could fall onto the freeway.

Those same power lines appeared to hinder firefighters’ efforts to drop water directly onto the flames as winds pushed the water sideways.

The Los Angeles Department of Water & Power announced at 10:43 p.m. that it had shut off power flow along major transmission lines in the vicinity of the fire to assist with firefighting operations.

There have been no outages as the result of shutting off power flows. Power is being rerouted to customers using other paths away from the affected area, according to the department.

City News Service contributed to this report.

Air War At Sea

TUE 10 OCT 1944
Pacific
In the first occasion since the Marianas campaign in which all four carrier task groups operate together as one unit, TF 38 (Vice Admiral Marc A. Mitscher) pounds Japanese shipping and installations on Okinawa and other islands in the Ryukyus. TF 38 planes sink submarine depot ship Jingei, landing ship T.158, minelayer Takashima and auxiliary submarine chaser Cha 87, north-northwest of Okinawa, 26°39'N, 127°52'E. In or near Naha harbor, Navy carrier-based aircraft sink auxiliary minesweeper Shimpo Maru, 26°13'N, 127°40'E, and No.6 Hakata Maru, guardboats No.26 Nansatsu Maru and No.5 Daisei Maru, 26°13'N, 127°41'E; guardboat Yuki Maru and motor torpedo boats Gyoraitei No.493, Gyoraitei No.496, Gyoraitei No.498, Gyoraitei No.500, Gyoraitei No.805, Gyoraitei No.806, Gyoraitei No.810, Gyoraitei No.812, Gyoraitei No.813, Gyoraitei No.814, Gyoraitei No.820 and Gyoraitei No.820, 26°30'N, 128°00'E; army cargo ship Horai Maru, 26°38'N, 127°54'E; merchant cargo ships Taikai Maru, Fukura Maru, Koryu Maru, and Tetsuzan Maru, 26°13'N, 127°39'E. Elswhere in the vicinity, Navy planes sink auxiliary minesweeper No.1 Takunan Maru off Okino Daito Jima, 25°30'N, 131°00'E, and army cargo ship Hirota Maru off Miyako Jima, 24°26'N, 125°20'E, and merchant cargo ship Nanyo Maru off Kume Jima. TF 38 planes damage Coast Defense Ship No.5 and submarine chaser Ch 58 off Okinawa; and guardboat No.6 Daisei Maru, cargo ship Toyosaka Maru, and merchant cargo ship No.7 Takashima Maru outside Koniya harbor.

Motor torpedo boat PT-368 is damaged by grounding off western New Guinea, 01°59'N, 127°57'E.

Submarine Barb (SS-220) sinks Japanese transport Gokuku Maru northwest of Hirado Jima, Kyushu, 33°31'N, 129°10'E.

Submarine Lapon (SS-260) sinks Japanese army transport Ejiri Maru in South China Sea west of Luzon, 16°10'N, 119°44'E.

Dutch submarine Zwaardvisch sinks Japanese guardboat Koei Maru southwest of Bawean Island, N.E.I., 05°57'S, 112°29'E.

Hot Rats At 50

Single from the album:This reporter would say it holds up well after 50 passes 'round the sun.

Deluxe bonus track:The medium is the message.

No Effing Joy In Mudville

We still can't believe it.

Today In S-E-X & Other Crimes

Esquire:
Donald Trump Allegedly Hid Behind a Tapestry to Grope a Woman at Mar-a-Lago in the Early 2000s  —  If you thought the Access Hollywood tape was the opening salvo in the story of Donald Trump's transgressions against women, think again. In All the President's Women: Donald Trump and the Making of a Predator, journalists Barry Levine and Monique El-Faizy draw on over 100 interviews, many of them exclusive, to craft a detailed history of Trump's relationships with women, stretching back to his childhood and education as well as his rise through real estate, entertainment, and politics. What emerges from the authors' reporting is a portrait of a predator who hides behind wealth and institutional power to frequently harass and abuse women. 
Marissa Higgins / Daily Kos:   Trump faces 43 new ‘inappropriate’ behavior allegations, including sexual assault, in new book
Aaron Rupar / Vox:   Trump faces a new allegation of sexually assaulting a woman at Mar-a-Lago
Paul Blest / Splinter:   New Book Reportedly Details Dozens of New Sexual Misconduct Allegations Against Trump
Carter Sherman / VICE:   Donald Trump Kissed and Grabbed a Woman by the Vagina, New Book Alleges
Alanna Vagianos / HuffPost:   Woman Accuses Donald Trump Of Grabbing Her Vagina Without Consent In Early 2000s
Vinnie Longobardo / Occupy Democrats:   New book alleges Trump hid behind a tapestry at Mar-a-Lago in early 2000s so he could grope a woman
Oliver Willis / Shareblue Media:   New book details 26 additional sexual assault claims against Trump
Tim O'Donnell / The Week:   Dozens of new sexual misconduct allegations against Trump reportedly included in forthcoming book
David Badash / The New Civil Rights Movement:   There Are Now an Additional 43 New Allegations of Inappropriate Behavior Against Trump …
Paul Campos / Lawyers, Guns & Money:   God, via his Earthly representative Ralph Reed, orders all good Christians to vote for the compulsive pussy-grabberOlivia Messer / The Daily Beast:
Trump Allegedly Assaulted Dozens of Additional Women, New Book Claims
Digby / Hullabaloo:   President predator  —  I've run across a lot of sexual harassers in my day.
Harry Cheadle / VICE:   Will the 26 New Sexual Allegations Against Trump Be Ignored Like the Rest?
Matthew Chapman / Raw Story:   Trump accused of 26 more sex assaults in explosive new book

What does Mother Pence say?

Sarah K. Burris / Raw Story:
Karen Pence says she loves the way Trump treats young women

Plus which:

Andrew Buncombe / The Independent:
Trump defends diplomat's wife who killed teenage Briton in crash: 'We've all done it'  —  Donald Trump has defended the wife of a US diplomat who killed a British teenager in a road accident, suggesting it is difficult to drive on the other side of the road and that “we've all done it”.  —  More follows...

"Enemy return fire is intense and accurate ..."

MON 9 OCT 1944
Pacific
In an operation timed to precede a fast carrier task force operations against Okinawa, three heavy cruisers and six destroyers of TG 30.2 (Rear Admiral Allan E. Smith) conduct a diversionary bombardment of Japanese installations on Marcus Island. Enemy return fire is intense and accurate at the outset, with Japanese gunners repeatedly straddling U.S. ships. In related operations, Saipan-based Navy PB4Ys, on interdiction patrols in the path of TF 58 as it approaches the Ryukyus, damage Japanese auxiliary submarine chaser Sankyo Maru off Okinawa.

Special Air Task Force (STAG 1) operations continue in Southwest Pacific as four TDRs are launched against Matupi Bridge, Simpson Harbor, Rabaul. Antiaircraft fire, however, downs three of the TDRs; one is lost enroute to the target.

One company of the U.S. Army 321st Infantry is landed on Garekayo Island, north of Ngesebus, and quickly overruns the island.

In wide-ranging U.S. submarine operations against Japanese shipping in the South China Sea, Becuna (SS-319) damages tanker San Luis Maru, 12°45'N, 118°00'E; and teams with Hawkbill (SS-366) to sink merchant tanker Tokuwa Maru, 12°43'N, 118°05'E; Croaker (SS-246) sinks merchant cargo ship Shinki Maru west of Kyushu, 32°08'N, 129°51'E; Sawfish (SS-276) sinks merchant tanker Tachibana Maru at 19°33'N, 116°38'E.

Mediterranean
Destroyer Eberle (DD-430) bombards ammunition dump and buildings, later Eberle and destroyer Jouett (DD-396), and planes from light cruiser Brooklyn (CL-40), destroy several floating mines in the vicinity.

Tank landing craft LCT-459 sinks after running aground off western coast of France.

Untitled (Volvo) I & II