Monday, December 18, 2017

Looks like it was a major highway.

What is with the integrity of the bridge?

There is a huge gap in the bridge at the place where the rail car is dangling. 

My assessment:

The train could not take that corner at 81 mph. The fact both engines made it over the bridge intact tells me the engines were braking. The rest of the cars piled up on top of the two engines. This break in the concrete was either a factor in causing the derailment with some structural integrity gone from the rails or was caused from the pile up.

This is just an off the cuff assessment. I have no special information to tell me what might have caused this disaster with so many deaths.

My sincerest sympathies to the families and friends of the victims. If this was some kind of sabotage, it worked. Why would a mayor of a city say that?

Where is the NTSB?

...A local mayor, from Lakewood, appeared to have predicted a fatal accident two weeks ago.

At a meeting on December 5, Mayor Don Anderson said it was just a matter of time before the high speed trains killed someone.

He claimed that grade separations – such as the overpass involved in this crash - should be included in new route plans to keep trains away from roads.

Komo News reports he asked Deprtment of Transport officials to “do better”.

He added: “Come back when there is that accident, and try to justify not putting in those safety enhancements, or you can go back now and advocate for the money to do it, because this project was never needed and endangers our citizens.”

The NTSB needs to interview the mayor and find out what he suspected and why his concerns were not answered before this tragedy?

If any elected official at any level has concerns about any aspect of public travel they need to be heard. Those at the local level are closer to the people than others. They should never be overlooked as some of the most serious skeptics with the most insight to issues regarding safety. They are the representatives of the people and they are trusted.

There still needs to be a thorough investigation, but, from what I can see, I think it was the speed that is the issue of this derailment. No way to know for sure. I don't see where anything was on the tracks.

I find it curious the cars weren't breaking in unison with the two engines if that is what occurred. It appears they weren't breaking at all.

The train was sabotaged?

December 18, 2017

The line was carrying passengers for the first time today

At least 'six people' have been killed (click here) after a high-speed train derailed off a bridge and onto a packed highway in Washington.

Authorities confirmed there have been a 'number of fatalities' after the train crashed in Dupont as it travelled between Seattle and Portland in rush hour, at around 7.45am local time (3.45pm UK time).

US media reports suggest that the majority of travellers - more than 70 of 77 passengers and five crew on board - have been transferred to hospital with "major injuries".

Emergency services battled to rescue several trapped on carriages.

Dramatic pictures from the scene show part of the train hanging from a bridge onto Interstate 5 where it struck vehicles - but no motorists were killed in the crash, it's reported.

Train 501 which crashed is now known to have been travelling the route for the first time when it crashed about 40 miles south of Seattle.

It's since emerged there were warnings that there would a fatal accident involving high-speed trains by the local mayor just a fortnight ago.

It's still unclear what caused the derailment - but there is speculation that the train 'hit something at 81mph'.

For live updates see below:

   At least 70 people were sent to St Joseph Hospital, according to CHI Franciscan Health. 20 were sent to the Madigan Army Medical Center emergency center... [Real-time updates: 
http://kiro.tv/TrainDerailsI5  ]....out of 78 passengers and five crew who were on board the train when it derailed off a bridge....

...“The City of Seattle has offered our assistance and aid to Pierce and Thurston counties, and is ready to work with Amtrak, local, state, and federal officials as they manage the response and deal with the aftermath of this tragic incident.”...

Only in the game of "Monopoly."

Pardons.

Valuable in Washington, DC and Moscow.

Anyone who thought Trump was actually interested in democracy and justice drank the Cool-Aide, along with a few virgins.

What does a Russian Plutocrat look like?

We need a "Perp Walk" in Moscow.

Panama Papers (click here)

He is the Karl Rove and Steve Bannon of Russia. Or, did Rove and "W" do a Putin?

He looked at the path to peace Russia was on, but, he didn't have the clout to be elected President so he reached out to the discarded aspects of Russian society, the Communists, and became their man of the hour. Just that simple.

If the truth be known, Rove and "W"s inside track of harnessing the people with the most hatred is an old Putin strategy that has kept him in politics and President, but, caused the Russian people a great deal of hardship. He may not have "The Apprentice" as a booster rocket, but, corruption in Moscow is thick as pea soup and Putin sits at the top.
While on the subject of Putin, it really is a shame the politics in Russia is so nationalistic. Putin is in hero worship and when he dies he can lay in permanent biofreeze along side Lenin. But, as to the well being of Russia, Putin is failing immensely.

First he estranges The West, his best trading partner, by breaking every treaty under the sun and invading Ukraine. At the time Ukraine threw out Yanukovych, Russia was in a perfect position to engage the democracy the Ukraine people wanted and build a trade organization that would include the post Soviet states while allowing them to build trade relations with The West.

It would have worked. Putin would have been hailed a peacemaker beyond peacemaker and looking at a Nobel Prize. Not only that, but, it would have placed Russia in the position to be an ally with the post-Soviet states to stabilize the Asian continent in relation to the European continent. It is called "The Balance of Power."

It would end the tensions between the Post-Soviet states and Russia preventing outbreaks of violence such as occurred between Poland, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

Putin chose islationism rather than alliance, alienating every Post - Soviet State and causing a border war with Ukraine. A BORDER WAR. Like, what? What leader would choose to have a border war with any other country? I guess only Vladimir Putin.

As a result of the broken treaties there are sanctions set up to encoursage Russia to rethink it's strategy. There is no future for Russia in the strategy of isolationism. NONE. A country can only sustain it's isolationism with a border war for so long.

The Russia people are in peril and I tell you what is brilliant, cutting off the internet into Russia. Also brilliant, nationism to bring about a false sense of well being. Russia currently sits in STATIC EQUALIBRIUM within it's own borders because The West doesn't want to kill Russians or spark a potential war with China. Just think about that. If the USA and it's allies positioned themselves for war rather than profits; what would that look like?

Now, Putin comes out of Russian isolationism after his Trump victory in the USA to THANK Trump for sending him information which prevented a domestic Russian terror bombing. Really, Vladimir? Where is the evidence since it should be public information rather than propaganda. So, where are the communications stating Trump prevented the deaths of Russians. I am really curious.

And that brings me to my next point and validates my point of view about Russia and it's "Hero President."

Vladimir Putin actually had to rely on the USA for information in preventing a terrorist attack? Really? What kind of an admission is that? Putin, the King of Swing in Russia, has to rely on the USA to prevent deaths of Russians. No wonder he was so invested in having Trump win the election.

Putin was right; if Hillary Clinton won the presidential election as she could and should have, where would Russia be? It's only strategy would be to enter into a nuclear war, because, it can't protect itself otherwise!

I can't believe Vladimir Putin won't see the reality of Russia in relation to it's future and simply retire from politics with his pretty mistress-wife.

The only defense the Russian government has to protect Russian people is propaganda and it's global distribution.

The communists are the wrong path for Russia.

That is good advise and it is free. No one had to pay Paul Manafort a dime.

Now.

Who really loves Russia and it's people?

This blank area on the UNISYS hemispheric satellite is at least a week old.

December 18, 2017
1130:42z
UNISYS Water Vapor Satellite of the west and north hemisphere of Earth (click here)

Russia has no right to block the scientific information collected about the troposphere for decades. Unless, it is just stupid Trump thinking he has a right to do exactly what he wants to do from the Oval Office.


It isn't as though it is the only satellite out there.

I thought Republicans liked private enterprise. What this appears to be to me is the Trump administration lined with private industry CEOs are using the government to defeat competition of their companies.

The USA government is not supposed to put it's thumb on the scale to defeat one company over the other. The Republicans have put their thumb on the scale for decades when it comes to the petroleum industry, but, some is amiss and there are only one group of morons that quality in being this stupid. Correction, two groups, Trump and his best buddy Putin.