Mid-Week Post

The molten core of the work-week...



Speaking of molten cores:

A series of three strong earthquakes hit central Italy in the space of an hour Wednesday, shaking the same region that suffered a series of deadly quakes last year and has been buried under more than a metre of snow in recent days.

There were no immediate reports of casualties but tremors were felt as far away as Rome, where the subway was closed as a precaution and parents were asked to pick up their children from schools.

The first tremor, with a preliminary magnitude of 5.3, hit the region north of Amatrice at about 10:25 a.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. A second quake with a magnitude of 5.7 hit the same area about 50 minutes later, and 10 minutes later a third was measured at magnitude 5.3. 

Aftershocks continued to rock the area.

Heavy snowfall in the quake-zone over the past week, which has dumped more than 1.5 metres in some places, was complicating transport and emergency response efforts. Mayor Maurizio Pelosi of Capitagno, near the epicentre, said even before the quakes many roads into and out of the town were blocked due to the snow.

A hotel worker in town, Giuseppe Di Felice, told state-run RAI radio people couldn’t get out of their homes. “It’s apocalyptic,” he said.

The mountainous region was shaken by three quakes last year, killing nearly 300 people and causing significant damage to older buildings. The tower of one of Amatrice’s churches toppled in Wednesday’s quakes.

(Sidebar: Italy is prone to earthquakes due to volcanic activity and to the fact that the country is sitting near two tectonic plates.)


Also: sometimes one must make one's own fun:

I bet by now PM Hair-Boy is wishing that he went to Davos:

Prime Minister Justin Trudeau refused Tuesday to respond in English to several questions put to him in English in Sherbrooke, Que., telling the town hall meeting that because he was in Quebec he would speak French.

This is learned behaviour. As his father had contempt for English Canada and anglophones, so does the mincing prat whose contempt and rudeness were once again on display in a country with two official languages and in a province that is not officially bilingual.

This makes the requirement for the future Tory leader to speak French less and less relevant. Why cater to the francophone oligarchy that has alienated both anglophones and francophones?


**

Alex Ayton and Kathleen Olds initially requested a selfie with Trudeau, who gladly obliged. Once the prime minister leaned into the photo, one of the students casually asked about his promise to implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Trudeau’s camera-ready smile quickly turned into shock as he backed away from the camera and the questioning women. He then said, “absolutely, yes, for sure” continuing to distance himself.

Leftists can be the most demanding mistresses and - as this article affirms - more wily than one would give them credit for.  PM Hair-Boy is a vain sucker for selfies. He walked right into that trap!

Kelly Ellard, who helped murder Reena Virk, has not been allowed day parole - yet:

A two-member parole board deadlocked Wednesday on whether to allow convicted killer Kelly Ellard to temporarily leave prison to take her baby into the community.

After questioning Ellard for two hours at a hearing at the Fraser Valley Institution this morning, board members Kim Polowek and Catherine Dawson said they couldn’t agree on her request for up to five escorted temporary absences for 90 days.

Parole Board spokesman Patrick Storey said afterwards it was rare for board members to be deadlocked. He said a new panel with two new members would hear Ellard’s case again in a few weeks.

Corpulent director truly believes that Donald Trump will ban Muslims from the United States:

Not only will he follow through on building the wall, but Moore also believes that Trump will find a way to ban Muslims from entering the U.S.

Yes, about that:

Speaking in New Hampshire, the presumptive Republican nominee framed the Orlando shooting as largely an immigration issue. “Although the pause is temporary, we must find out what is going on,” Trump said of halting Muslims entering the country. “We have to do it. It will be lifted, this ban, when as a nation we’re in a position to properly and perfectly screen these people coming into our country. They’re pouring in and we don’t know what we’re doing.”

That's hardly a Saudi moratorium.

Whatever it takes to stay relevant, eh, Michael?



And now, Kyoto in the snow. Enjoy: