Uh-oh, another Stadium gig..

[Et in Arcadia ego]

Confirmed Arson investigation:

Home Searched In Calif. Wildfire Arson Investigation

California authorities and FBI agents searched a home Wednesday as part of an arson investigation into one of the wildfires devastating Southern California, a law enforcement official said.

The search was conducted in Orange County by the Orange County Sheriff's Office and the FBI, the official said. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the investigation was continuing, would not say what was taken.

"FBI Los Angeles is assisting Orange County fire officials and sheriff's office in an ongoing investigation into the source of some of the fires," FBI spokesman Richard Kolko said. He referred all other questions to local authorities.

The fires, now in their fourth day, have destroyed 1,500 homes and caused at least a half-million people to flee, in what has become the largest evacuation in state history. At least 1,200 damaged homes were in San Diego County, which is just south of Orange County, and officials believe that number will rise.

Twenty-one firefighters and at least 24 others have been injured. One person was killed by the flames, and the San Diego medical examiner's officer listed five other deaths as connected to the blazes.

Thousands of people remained in emergency shelters, where many had an agonizing wait to find out whether their homes had survived.

Link

[starviego]

Some ominous points:

--Mexican firefighters have entered the country to 'help.'

--A caller to a local San Diego radio station said they were prevented from returning to their homes by officers with guns drawn.

--Residents still have not been allowed to return to the town of Ramona(pop 35,000) in north San Diego County that was evacuated two days ago, even though the fires are now far away and the wind has died down.. They have now claimed that they are not letting people in because of no power and contaminated water supplies, even though another caller heard from a friend still in town that power and water were available.

[8bitagent]

Now were being told the fires are arson:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21449247/

Fox saying its al Qaeda terrorism:
http://thinkprogress.org/2007/10/24/fox ... a-wildires

Authorities 4 years ago said al Qaeda plotted this:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington ... fire_x.htm

All one has to look at is: who benefits?

I believe more than Blackwater is going to be benefitting.

It will be very interesting to see who they pin these fires on, now that its officially being said to be arson.

[Jeff]

From the LA Times today:

...

Commanding the fire effort has played to Schwarzenegger's old strength as a world-famous celebrity thriving in the limelight and to his political preference for decisive action with immediate results, those who know him say.

"It's real-life drama," said Rob Stutzman, Schwarzenegger's former government communications director. "There's a difference between what's pretend and what's real, but all of the performing and the bodybuilding and the movies prepared him to feel very comfortable performing in real-life dramas."

The governor has remained in public view in the last three days more than he has in the last few weeks and months, when he has struggled without success to advance proposals on the state's water shortage and healthcare. He vacationed during a budget crisis and flew out of state three times during special sessions he called.

Just before the fires, with little to trumpet, Schwarzenegger resorted to promoting the signing of legislators' bills. Now, the fires have pointed out an uncomfortable political reality: for a government leader, natural disasters can have restorative qualities, too.

"If he does the right things throughout this crisis, 2007 isn't going to be remembered as the year they didn't do healthcare or water reform," said Dan Schnur, a Republican political analyst. "It's going to be remembered as the year that he took on Southern California's wildfires."

In addition to scheduling nonstop news conferences, television appearances and interviews with national media outlets, Schwarzenegger's aides have posted on the state website photo essays of him surveying the charred landscape.

"I have to say I love this," the governor said Wednesday afternoon while walking around the cots at an evacuation center in a high school in Lake Forest, as displaced residents photographed him using cell phones and disposable cameras. "This is a time where people really need help and support. The key is following through." He signed autographs on napkins and notebooks, asking residents, "Do you have enough food? Do you have enough water?"

Earlier Wednesday, at a news conference in Los Alamitos, Schwarzenegger said he was there "to see firsthand of what's going on, see the fires, see the aftermath, and see the burned-out places, see some of the places where people have to stay overnight." He spoke of making calls personally to get more cots and blankets for evacuated residents.

"That's what action is all about," Schwarzenegger said. "I mean, this is what you do where there is a case of an emergency. We all have to work together and I'm a hands-on guy that goes around and does those things."

[orz]

Mexican firefighters have entered the country to 'help.'

How OMINOUS!

[Crow]

From the LA Times today:

"I have to say I love this," the governor said Wednesday afternoon

What a nauseating glimpse into Arnold's psyche.

[orz]

Yeah, not exactly the best choice of words. When politicians come out with some insane inhuman filth like this it makes me wonder what they're really thinking, if this is the toned-down, media-friendly version!?!

[Joe Hillshoist]

From the LA Times today:

"I have to say I love this," the governor said Wednesday afternoon

What a nauseating glimpse into Arnold's psyche.

Possibly the guvernator means something else. He also said:

This is a time where people really need help and support. The key is following through."

"Do you have enough food? Do you have enough water?"

"That's what action is all about," Schwarzenegger said. "I mean, this is what you do where there is a case of an emergency. We all have to work together and I'm a hands-on guy that goes around and does those things."

He could actually be referring to loving the fact that he is doing something he genuinely thinks is worthwhile, ie helping his fellow citizens in a disaster, and given he's governor, being in a position to actually be effective in helping people.

I don't have much time for mr Wolfcastle, but I love fighting fires(well for the first 12 hours after that it just becomes exhausting and stressful.). Its a rush, you have to engage as much of yourself as possible, and don't have room to fuck up. But I have never been a situation where people have died or lost homes immediately due to our actions or failures. That would not be that good a feeling.

He might be referring to the fact that he loves the challenge of actually trying to mitigate a disaster, as its probably a more worthwhile part of leadership than most of what he does. Certainly less sordid than most of what goes with politics.

Maybe I am just ascribing to much humanity to him. But maybe he is actually revelling in the chance to do something that he can see helps people out.

And considering the scale of the threat (smallish fires maybe, well compared to some, but in heavily populated areas) the fact that the death toll is so low is commendable. There have been similar death tolls in Australia for smaller fires as well as larger ones. But always the populations threatened have been low in comparison to southern california.

As far as survivors go people have lost their homes sure, but ultimately thats only property. Those people haven't lost everything. They are still alive. It might be small or no comfort at the moment, but I know what I'd rather have.

[Pele'sDaughter]

Talk about psy-op. NBC news last night was calling the evacuees "refugees". And didn't that happen during the Katrina coverage as well?

[Et in Arcadia ego]

When's Barbara gonna make the scene?



[what a scary looking woman..thank god she's not my grandma.]

[Jeff]

Cheney Nods Off During Meeting On Calif. Wildfires

(CBS13) WASHINGTON Vice President Dick Cheney was caught on tape and caught off guard during a meeting with President Bush.

A news crew was taping a cabinet meeting at the White House as the president was giving a briefing on the California wildfires.

The news crew caught Cheney as he appeared to be nodding off.

Perhaps even the vice president needs a power nap once in awhile.

video at link

[Et in Arcadia ego]

Officials: 22,000-acre fire was set

The arsonist's motive was a mystery to Concepcion.

"That's the part that I really can't figure out, to tell you the truth," he told CNN. "That individual knew on Sunday when this fire started that we had, really, the perfect storm, if you will. We had the heavy Santa Ana winds, we had the low relative humidities, we had the high temperatures.

"And then for someone to even think about doing something as reprehensible as starting a fire where they knew the fire would grow as rapidly as it would -- traveling about three, 3 ½ miles in about an hour -- is just really absolutely unconscionable," he said.

Link

Mundane answers tend to dominate, but I can't help wondering if that kind of understanding is beyond the scope of your average metal-head pyromaniac..

[Seamus OBlimey]

Very interesting thread.. parallels aplenty.

Just catching up here..

"sign in so that we can do people control.. we have the tv and radio on.. (a blood bank).. have a good day!"

Lots more in the sidebar.

Interesting comparisons with Katrina. I mostly followed that event via a blog supposedly based in NO, I've lost the link but it had NOLA somewhere in the title. The blogger claimed to be ex-special forces and prepared to defend with lethal force the ISP building he was in charge of. It looked like a right spy op to my suspicious mind but had all the latest links, pics etc. And most of all, I suppose, it sounded exciting, it felt cool to be getting the real lowdown. Isn't that part of it?

When Jeff posted about katrina pics disappearing I looked for the site and drew blanks. Try googling NOLA Katrina, second after wiki is NOLA.com where I have to sign up for access to pics. WTF?

Good point Hugh, though I did find Ian funny. Ridicule and ostracisism is something we all have to live with. They are weapons and the best defence against them is humour that ridicules and exposes them. Erm.. is ridiculing ridicule a double negative? Well that cancels that out.

It's one thing trying to get across to academics and intellectuals, something else trying to get to the man or woman on the street. Most folks don't take kindly to being hit over the head with facts and figures, sometimes gentle persuasion and the space to make their own minds up is more appreciated.

Arcadia, that's a cute animation and I remember seeing the originals, probably from the site I mention above, but is there a verified source? Remind me, is it EM radiation we're supposed to be seeing or something else? It does look like some kind of directed energy and wasn't someone claiming credit for it at the time? I'm sure someone remembers better than I do.

Uh-oh, another Stadium gig.. Don't worry folks, it's just a rehearsal.

[orz]

"spy op"!?

this was the guy: http://interdictor.livejournal.com/
He's still updating it so there's a lot of various libertarian/right wing ranting etc to page back thru...... seems like many of the older images are broken links but such is the internet alas.

It seemed pretty authentic, and had coverage of all sorts of stuff, some of which contradicted the mainstream. They were crazy ex-military guys but that doesn't mean much in itself. Anyway see for yourself their politics from the recent blog posts, for what it's worth.

[Seamus OBlimey]

Thanks, orz. That looks like the same. It was directnic. But what's in a name?