Frankenstorm

[Prospero]

I send best wishes to all of you on the East Coast. Be safe and emerge unscathed as the big one looms.

[danthepoetman]

I want to join my voice to yours, Prospero.
Don’t take any chance, people. Do what’s necessary. Life means more than anything else. I hope with all my heart everything goes well, or at least better than envisioned.

[Wendy Summers]

Looks like I'll be hit directly! w00t!

I have supplies and I'm all prepped for the storm. I'll be bunkering down in a little bit. I likely won't be posting/ tweeting/ etc for the duration if power goes out, so see you all on the other side of this storm!

[Prospero]

Good luck Wendy.

[GroobySteven]

I likely won't be posting/ tweeting/ etc for the duration if power goes out, so see you all on the other side of this storm!

Pussy !!!
(stay safe)

[danthepoetman]

Looks like I'll be hit directly! w00t!

I have supplies and I'm all prepped for the storm. I'll be bunkering down in a little bit. I likely won't be posting/ tweeting/ etc for the duration if power goes out, so see you all on the other side of this storm!
Be well, Wendy. And give us news as soon as you can, as we'll be thinking of you.

[tsadriana]

All my love to u all from the EAST COAST Stay safe and our love is with u guys there.

[Wendy Summers]

Pussy !!!
(stay safe)

You mean that in the British "pussycat" way... right? RIGHT?

[flabbybody]

very serious flooding for southern Long Island and the whole Jersey shore. media wasn't kidding when they said this was a storm for the ages.

[Ecstatic]

Fortunately this go 'round we seem to be in a relatively safe area here in central Mass: we're only expecting 2-3" of rain and winds of 40-50, gusting occasionally higher. The Mass coast just to our east, though, looks to suffer some major flooding on the outer Cape, islands, and north and south shores. All my best to those of you from soutwestern CT to DC! Stay safe!

[Dino Velvet]

Get Mini-Maglites that take AA Batteries. I saw reports of huge shortages of D Size Batteries.

http://www.specopstactical.com/shop/catalog/images/store/Rothco/784.jpg

[GoddessAthena85]

It doesn't hit here till tomorrow. But i have a mega lady Bonner for a n.j. Boy he better keep his phone charged... And why my company still has me out photographing properties i don't get. Whatever though. A girls gotta get paid.

[giovanni_hotel]

This is some Mayan prophesy end-of-the-world shit going down on the East coast tonight.
Coastal NJ is going to be underwater...maybe.
Hurricane Sandy is going to take a sharp West coast turn and just SIT over NY/NJ for about 36-48 hours.


Not good.

[Wendy Summers]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NlmIeH7DT_w

How long can you tread water?

[maxpower]

I'm in New London, CT, and so far I'm not impressed. Strong winds and some rain, but nothing catastrophic yet. Time will tell I guess, as the full force isn't supposed to hit until late night, early morning. I wanted to drive down by the beach to check out the waves, but cars have been banned from the roads. Might be worth the walk.

[maxpower]

Get Mini-Maglites that take AA Batteries. I saw reports of huge shortages of D Size Batteries.


I have 2 of the minis, plus a full-size, all with good batteries. You're right, though...all the places around here are cleaned out of D-cells.

[hwbs]

a lot of the areas in my town are flooded that is near the coast....i am glad i am like ten miles from the beach

[RallyCola]

as a lifelong resident of NYC...i can tell you that i think people are overreacting a bit. yes, there will be flooding and there will be some property damage but we will be fine.

[JenniferParisHusband]

I too want to add my support to all the East Coast folks, especialy my Jennifer. Be safe.

[Wendy Summers]

My update: Power has flickered on and off a few times now. My high speed internet isn't working. I just made gluten free white chocolate chip cookies and I'm editing videos. Its like a snowday so far LOL

[Chaos]

Nothing but rain here...nothing special. But then, I do live on a big old hill so I doubt I'll see flooding.

[Quiet Reflections]

Nothing special here either just strong wind and rain. Even if the power goes out I can't imagine it will be nearly as bad as the last storm.

[N.O.Kayla]

Many warm wishes to the people being affected by the storm It is never easy being in the path of the storm but keep your heads up It will be over before you know it :)

xoxo
New Orleans Lady
Kayla Starr

[onmyknees]

Water Flooding over Battery Park, Crane dangling off a high rise on 57th street......mass transit and buses stopped....in Sea Gate in Brooklyn you can surf right off your deck...but my biggest concern? Wendy without high speed internet. Somebody do something. :dancing:

[Wendy Summers]

Water Flooding over Battery Park, Crane dangling off a high rise on 57th street......mass transit and buses stopped....in Sea Gate in Brooklyn you can surf right off your deck...but my biggest concern? Wendy without high speed internet. Somebody do something. :dancing:

Hahaha I lost power for about 15 minutes at 4:30 and started laughing... I'm giddy excited over the storm LOL; On the plus side when the power went out I didn't feel guilty about unpacking my bags from VA. LOL

[amberskyi]

lost power here in VA for less than an hour.kinda sucked cause i was in the middle of dying my hair :(.
im dying to get out in the storm tho with my beloved four loko and explore

[Wendy Summers]

lost power here in VA for less than an hour.kinda sucked cause i was in the middle of dying my hair :(.
im dying to get out in the storm tho with my beloved four loko and explore

How bad did it hit you guys? Did they ever shut down the tunnels?

[amberskyi]

How bad did it hit you guys? Did they ever shut down the tunnels?

im not sure about the tunnels but the james river bridge totally got over taken by the river.
theres some pretty serious flooding in some parts of town and allot of power outages.

[onmyknees]

Hahaha I lost power for about 15 minutes at 4:30 and started laughing... I'm giddy excited over the storm LOL; On the plus side when the power went out I didn't feel guilty about unpacking my bags from VA. LOL

Your're funny...what is it that excites you about rain and wind so much?? Maybe the prospects of hunkering down with a lover? Or maybe you like to pretend you're camping right there in your apartment?

You love the thunder, oo, you love the rain
You know your hunger, oo, like you know your name
I got your number, if it's still the same :dancing:

Jackson Browne

[Wendy Summers]

Your're funny...what is it that excites you about rain and wind so much?? Maybe the prospects of hunkering down with a lover? Or maybe you like to pretend you're camping right there in your apartment?

You love the thunder, oo, you love the rain
You know your hunger, oo, like you know your name
I got your number, if it's still the same :dancing:

Jackson Browne


Hrm... I think the power of it... seeing it rage outside my widow but I'm warm and dry and comfy inside. Although I'll admit I DID have brief thoughts on inviting someone here to weather the storm with me.

[Prospero]

Some folk can appreciate beauty or the power of nature can they.

[Wendy Summers]

Some folk can appreciate beauty or the power of nature can they.

I'm appreciating it's timing.

Right as I finished cooking dinner, the power went out. As I finished eating my candlelight dinner, it came back up so I could run the dishwasher and make my after dinner coffee LOL

[onmyknees]

[QUOTE=Prospero;1227092]Some folk can appreciate beauty or the power of nature can they.

I'm sorry.............was that a question or a statement?

[EyeCumInPiece]

Its fucking SCARY out there.

[RallyCola]

i dunno. i live in forest hills gardens and am serviced by RCN, not time warner. my internet has been fine and my power has been steady.

when i was at work earlier, all cumc buildings have backups and my lab was fine.

the drive home across the triboro (i refuse to use the new name) was ok...the only place that sucked was the portion of the grand central that usually floods near forest hills but otherwise, it was not bad.

my point is...outside of "zone a" in nyc...its just windy and not that bad. people are overreacting in THIS city.

[RallyCola]

just saw this on the news

http://manhattan.ny1.com/content/top_stories/171559/chelsea-building-partially-collapses--wind-possible-factor

see...in zone A, it sucks.

[robertlouis]

Be safe, folks. Nothing else matters.

[maxpower]

Folks in New York and New Jersey are getting it far worse than I am in CT. I hope everyone is safe and sound.

[Ben]

Folks in New York and New Jersey are getting it far worse than I am in CT. I hope everyone is safe and sound.

Was watching the News. And they mentioned this is the biggest storm to hit New York.... And this storm is something like 700 miles long. Incredible. I don't recall a massive hurricane/storm like this in late October.
And, too, global warming isn't being mentioned.
Author and environmentalist Bill McKibben writes and I quote: "You can’t, as the climate-change deniers love to say, blame any particular hurricane on global warming. They’re born, as they always have been, when a tropical wave launches off the African coast and heads out into the open ocean. But when that ocean is hot—and at the moment sea surface temperatures off the Northeast are five degrees higher than normal—a storm like Sandy can lurch north longer and stronger, drawing huge quantities of moisture into its clouds, and then dumping them ashore."

Noam Chomsky has some interesting insights about global warming.
Noam Chomsky and Bill McKibben on Global Warming - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_O3cNc2JoMA)

[SXFX]

I'm appreciating it's timing.

Right as I finished cooking dinner, the power went out. As I finished eating my candlelight dinner, it came back up so I could run the dishwasher and make my after dinner coffee LOL

how funny is that!
Same here

[Ecstatic]

Hrm... I think the power of it... seeing it rage outside my widow but I'm warm and dry and comfy inside. Although I'll admit I DID have brief thoughts on inviting someone here to weather the storm with me.

Ooh, Wendy without coffee, now that's a disaster! Surely you have a camp stove and French press for such emergencies....
:dancing:

[zerrrr]

Be safe everyone. I am getting pounded with a lot of wind and not as much rain.

These are some photos from inside NYC.

http://i.imgur.com/3DtTl.jpg

[zerrrr]

R line @ 86th St.

http://i.imgur.com/t1Na0.jpg

[zerrrr]

If you happen to know someone affected, give them a call and check in. Chances are they are ok but this storm is a real mess.

[zerrrr]

Be safe everyone. I am getting pounded with a lot of wind and not as much rain.

These are some photos from inside NYC.

http://i.imgur.com/3DtTl.jpg

[zerrrr]

R line @ 86th St.

http://i.imgur.com/t1Na0.jpg

[SXFX]

dead rats and clean streets? my god this shit is going out to sea!

[zerrrr]

MTA's twitter is saying there is water in the tunnels under the East River but they cannot figure out how much until tomorrow.

Cleanup will be a bitch.

[zerrrr]

http://i.imgur.com/GdCU2.png

[buckjohnson]

I have fam from NC to Brooklyn...My thoughts are out to them

[zerrrr]

http://alert.mta.info/

Statement from MTA Chairman Joseph J. Lhota on Service Recovery

The New York City subway system is 108 years old, but it has never faced a disaster as devastating as what we experienced last night. Hurricane Sandy wreaked havoc on our entire transportation system, in every borough and county of the region. It has brought down trees, ripped out power and inundated tunnels, rail yards and bus depots. As of last night, seven subway tunnels under the East River flooded. Metro-North Railroad lost power from 59th Street to Croton-Harmon on the Hudson Line and to New Haven on the New Haven Line. The Long Island Rail Road evacuated its West Side Yards and suffered flooding in one East River tunnel. The Hugh L. Carey Tunnel is flooded from end to end and the Queens Midtown Tunnel also took on water and was closed. Six bus garages were disabled by high water. We are assessing the extent of the damage and beginning the process of recovery. Our employees have shown remarkable dedication over the past few days, and I thank them on behalf of every New Yorker. In 108 years, our employees have never faced a challenge like the one that confronts us now. All of us at the MTA are committed to restoring the system as quickly as we can to help bring New York back to normal.

[Ecstatic]

The impact of Sandy on lower Manhatten gives a hint of what will happen when the sea level rises just 3' by century's end.

[Prospero]

Very true Ecstatic.I'm thankful that my Manhattan chums all live above the fifth floor in their various buildings. And my US relatives, in Washington and Florida and Maryland, all live well inland as do my friends in Mass, upstate NY and Rhode island.

But climate change will mean the next big one - and those that follow - will be substantially worse.

Sadly neither of the candidates in the Presidential chase are even talking about climate change. Disheartening.

[Wendy Summers]

Checking in: I'm ok but no power water cell service at my home; power and cell service at my day job so I'm typing this on my cell there lol; hope everyone else has weathered ok!

[iagodelgado]

Checking in: I'm ok but no power water cell service at my home; power and cell service at my day job so I'm typing this on my cell there lol; hope everyone else has weathered ok!

Good to hear you're OK.

But which one do you want back first? Power, water or cell?

[Prospero]

New York City and the east Coast got him by this big storm because it is a nest of homosexual degenerates. Thats what the Christian fundamentalist preachers are saying. Just like Sodom and Gomorroh.

Just so you know.

[Wendy Summers]

Good to hear you're OK.

But which one do you want back first? Power, water or cell?

Power; I think it's why mywater is put tbh

[Prospero]

Mayor says the subway won't re-open for two or three days.

[SXFX]

I am just fine...slept great...took a nice hot shower too!
Yeah rough life!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=co6-tYS9k1U

[fred41]

The meteorologists got this one mostly right.It was not an over reaction. My area in Sunnyside was mostly untouched (except for some downed trees)...I feel almost guilty.

[Queens Guy]

The meteorologists got this one mostly right.It was not an over reaction. My area in Sunnyside was mostly untouched (except for some downed trees)...I feel almost guilty.

Don't feel too guilty. Could be some of your friends will need temporary shelter while their homes go without power, water, heat, etc. You can help out that way.

[fred41]

Don't feel too guilty. Could be some of your friends will need temporary shelter while their homes go without power, water, heat, etc. You can help out that way.

No problem...it's a bit tight in my tiny studio...but I do have Netflix...just take your shoes off when you come in - I like my rugs.

[Queens Guy]

No problem...it's a bit tight in my tiny studio...but I do have Netflix...just take your shoes off when you come in - I like my rugs.

I'm lucky to have avoided any disruption. Until having to return to work with the prospect of no subways running.

Hey, maybe one of the girls on the forum needs a cozy place to stay. In a perfect world, two of them. ;)

[danthepoetman]

New York City and the east Coast got him by this big storm because it is a nest of homosexual degenerates. Thats what the Christian fundamentalist preachers are saying. Just like Sodom and Gomorroh.
Just so you know.
You got to be kidding?
Length of hypocrisy self-righteous groups can attain has no boundary. Coupled with a political agenda, it can produce hurricanes worst than what we’ve just seen.

Happy to see you're OK, Wendy.
All in all, it seems like there's been lots of material damages, but not too many human losses, doesn't it? Of course, any loss of life is one too many.

[fred41]

Hey, maybe one of the girls on the forum needs a cozy place to stay. In a perfect world, two of them. ;)

Been there,done that in the past...it got a little weird and not in a good way...lol.

...and my present GF would cut my balls off...both of them.:)

[GoddessAthena85]

It seems to be getting better here too. The parking lot is no longer a lake, the internet is working better. ( This sucked all day we where working inside doing research on properties and wifi was so spotty) ohh first world problems...

hoping everyone else is doing ok...

@ QueensGuy I hope they understand that non operational subways aren't exactly something you have control over.

[flabbybody]

I will NEVER say Hugh Carey Tunnel.
sheeees

[Queens Guy]

I will NEVER say Hugh Carey Tunnel.
sheeees

AMEN!

When I first read the name, I was wondering where it was. Brooklyn-Battery is a perfect name, considering it goes from Brooklyn to The Battery.

And, the RFK Bridge?!? Jeez, don't get me started. :pissed:

[maxpower]

New York City and the east Coast got him by this big storm because it is a nest of homosexual degenerates. Thats what the Christian fundamentalist preachers are saying. Just like Sodom and Gomorroh.

Just so you know.


So, the next time a tornado tears through a bunch of trailer parks in Arkansas, do I get to say it's because they're a bunch of inbred redneck morons?

[maxpower]

I went out for a walk this afternoon to check out the aftermath of the storm. Nothing like what occurred in NY and NJ, but things still happened. Here are some pictures I took.

[Jericho]

So, the next time a tornado tears through a bunch of trailer parks in Arkansas, do I get to say it's because they're a bunch of inbred redneck morons?

No, but it's ok to think it! :dead:

[zerrrr]

Here is a list of expected running NYC subways tomorrow overlaid on the subway map.

http://www.mta.info/sites/default/files/pdf/HurricaneRecoveryMapOct312012.pdf

[zerrrr]

Here is some more info for people in New York and some pictures from NY/NJ


http://news.yahoo.com/photos/sandy-from-above-slideshow/boats-seen-yard-where-washed-onto-shore-during-photo-190659185.html


http://news.yahoo.com/bad-yorks-subway-looking-grim-140645061.html


http://qz.com/22486/five-ideas-that-might-have-saved-new-york-city-from-flooding/

Be prepared everyone. This may be a long slog until everything is up and running again.

[StlyeMeCunty]

I live on 31st street... And as some of you know everything below 31st street is out and everything above is on! It was like looking at Gotham city when I looked town the avenue the other day! FYI... everything is lovely at my place.... :).:wiggle::wiggle::wiggle:

[Jericho]

Thank fuck yer'll are safe and come out the other side of it!

[SXFX]

im amazed at how you ladies can live in the parts of the city you live in.
business must be banging?

[flabbybody]

Here is a list of expected running NYC subways tomorrow overlaid on the subway map.

http://www.mta.info/sites/default/files/pdf/HurricaneRecoveryMapOct312012.pdf
can MTA actually pull this off? If they do, I'll never say anything bad about them ever again.
best of luck to anyone using the subway for the next few days. leave extra, extra early

[mistab]

This may sound crazy but when I see transit tunnels flood out, I think of the possibility of homeless people who sometimes inhabit these tunnels in some cities... I just hope when the shut down they make runs through the tunnels and make sure that no one is left behind...

[Yvonne183]

I live in the mountains of New York and lost power cause all the trees fell on the wires. The work crews here went down to the NYC area to work before they get to my area. It's getting cold here and snow is on the way this week, hope they get the power here soon.

[onmyknees]

I live in the mountains of New York and lost power cause all the trees fell on the wires. The work crews here went down to the NYC area to work before they get to my area. It's getting cold here and snow is on the way this week, hope they get the power here soon.


Good to see ya back on HA Yovonne. Yes....it is getting cold. Power just came back on. There isn't a fucking thing romantic about a firepalce when it's you're sole source of heat. Hope they get you up and running soon ! xo

[onmyknees]

New York City and the east Coast got him by this big storm because it is a nest of homosexual degenerates. Thats what the Christian fundamentalist preachers are saying. Just like Sodom and Gomorroh.

Just so you know.

You're kidding me right? Even Christie and Obama set aside differences in light of this devastation....so why don't you lay low with your anti-Christian bigotry for a few days. And tell me where all these "chums" of yours are so I can find them and tell them how ludicrous you are. Who gives a fuck what the likes of the Westboro Baptist Church are saying...We have entire towns and neighborhoods underwater and lower Manhattan essentially cut off from heat, power and provisions, and some 5 million people in the dark and you're posting this garbage?


:fu:

[maxpower]

You're kidding me right? Even Christie and Obama set aside differences in light of this devastation....so why don't you lay low with your anti-Christian bigotry for a few days. And tell me where all these "chums" of yours are so I can find them and tell them how ludicrous you are. Who gives a fuck what the likes of the Westboro Baptist Church are saying...We have entire towns and neighborhoods underwater and lower Manhattan essentially cut off from heat, power and provisions, and some 5 million people in the dark and you're posting this garbage?

You're absolutely right. This is the time to put differences aside and come together. Unfortunately, it seems the evangelicals didn't get the memo on that. They're the ones using this tragedy as an opportunity to spread more hatred, ignorance, and bigotry...essentially saying New Yorkers got what they deserved. What kind of bullshit is that? It doesn't seem like very "Christian" behavior to me. People all across the country are donating time and money to the relief effort. Maybe those fucks should lay low with their anti-homosexual bigotry for a few days and get their congregations to help out in the effort, instead of vilifying innocent victims of a natural disaster to further their religious/political agenda. Prospero was just calling them out on their bullshit, as they deserved to be.

[zerrrr]

can MTA actually pull this off? If they do, I'll never say anything bad about them ever again.
best of luck to anyone using the subway for the next few days. leave extra, extra early

It will be a mess for anyone trying to cross the East River.

There is a lot of work that needs to be done in terms of inspecting and repairing equipment.

That said, I called a couple of girls that I have not spoken to for years to make sure they are ok.

If you have a chance check in on old friends to make sure they are ok.

I had a falling out with one girl a couple of years ago over something stupid and she was genuinely thankful someone called to make sure she was ok. We ended up chatting for an hour and at the end were like 'WTF did get in a fight over? That was dumb,' and we were all happy and laughing.

All it takes is a 5-10 minute phone call.

[bimale69]

New York City and the east Coast got him by this big storm because it is a nest of homosexual degenerates. Thats what the Christian fundamentalist preachers are saying. Just like Sodom and Gomorroh.

Just so you know.

Just figures that these inbred, hate-mongering asshole tea party nutjobs are already spewing their shit.

[Prospero]

You're kidding me right? Even Christie and Obama set aside differences in light of this devastation....so why don't you lay low with your anti-Christian bigotry for a few days. And tell me where all these "chums" of yours are so I can find them and tell them how ludicrous you are. Who gives a fuck what the likes of the Westboro Baptist Church are saying...We have entire towns and neighborhoods underwater and lower Manhattan essentially cut off from heat, power and provisions, and some 5 million people in the dark and you're posting this garbage?


:fu:

OMK - you are a real hater on these boards. Everyone here knows it. You are full of bile and bigotry and balefulness. I started this thread - if you didn't notice - with a general message of hope and concern for anyone and everyone who might be affected by this storm. All of my posts in the arena of politics are about a general concern for the well being of America (a nation I love) and the darkness it faces threatened by your sort... the often vicious and often mindless foot soldiers of the tea party who seem to find pride in their bigotry (not always one and the same - but there is a big overlap). Womens rights, the rights of ethnic minorities etc - all unimportant compared to the rights of the tiny rich minority.

I posted this because that is what some of the evangelicals are saying. In this they find kindred spirits among some radical imams in the Middle east who are delivering the same message. All of them craven and evil fools - radical christians and Muslims alike. Mine is NOT an anti-Christian post as you fashion it. It is an anti extremist post. (Of course the fact I mention the radical Muslims will be grist to the anti-Muslim racist hatred which animates many of those of you of your ilk). But Muslim Americans are also facing damaged lives because of this devastation - as are some tea party supporters and radical republicans and evangelical Christians. My sympathy lies with all of them.

So why not post something thoughtful and helpful instead of more of your cheap bile.

I care about those people affected by this. Your words are just more of the same - bringing your vicious bile to bear very innappropriatly. Heaven help America if the people and the mind set you support get elected.

[Prospero]

So the storm has passed... Anyone here badly affected in the end? Everyone okay?

[Wendy Summers]

So the storm has passed... Anyone here badly affected in the end? Everyone okay?

Everything is ok. I've had it mild compared to some.

I'm still without power at home. I'm still being told 7 -10 days for where I am at. I had no water for the first 24 hours. Cell service has been in and out but much better now.

The biggest challenge at the moment is the gas shortages.

[Prospero]

Yeah my cousins in New jersey were told it'll be ten days before they get power again.

[Queens Guy]

Everything is ok. I've had it mild compared to some.

I'm still without power at home. I'm still being told 7 -10 days for where I am at. I had no water for the first 24 hours. Cell service has been in and out but much better now.

The biggest challenge at the moment is the gas shortages.

Where are you Wendy?

I've had a few friends that were told 7-10 days, but got service back yesterday. They are from the suburbs North and West, though.

Hoping for the same good news for you.

[Prospero]

Romney to the rescue... r but only if you are in a swing state.

[bimale69]

I managed to go through some of that snow in the western pa/west virginia area they were talking about.

[Quiet Reflections]

So the storm has passed... Anyone here badly affected in the end? Everyone okay?
where i am was just wind and rain but maryland eastern shore got it pretty bad

[zerrrr]

I am in NYC but a friend on 30th st does not have power. Trying to find a place for her for a couple of days. She is a TV.

[SFTB]

OMK - you are a real hater on these boards. Everyone here knows it. You are full of bile and bigotry and balefulness.[COLOR="black"][

I posted this because that is what some of the evangelicals are saying. In this they find kindred spirits among some radical imams in the Middle east who are delivering the same message. All of them craven and evil fools - radical christians and Muslims alike. Mine is NOT an anti-Christian post as you fashion it. It is an anti extremist post. (Of course the fact I mention the radical Muslims will be grist to the anti-Muslim racist hatred which animates many of those of you of your ilk). But Muslim Americans are also facing damaged lives because of this devastation - as are some tea party supporters and radical republicans and evangelical Christians. My sympathy lies with all of them.

So why not post something thoughtful and helpful instead of more of your cheap bile.

I care about those people affected by this. Your words are just more of the same - bringing your vicious bile to bear very innappropriatly. Heaven help America if the people and the mind set you support get elected.

Prospero, you are a hypocrytical piece of work. A few short weeks ago when you posted the following about Hurricane Issac barreling down on the GOP in Tampa, that was just you waxing poetic I guess? Now you're all up in arms when someone does the same. You were exactly the nut job spewing about God's wrath then, except it was against a party you hate.

Convention in Tampa
Does God have something against the Republicans? if Isaac ever lets the GOP convention get started, here is a nice song about them by Ry Cooder.

[Ben]

Hurricane Sandy and the Myth of the Big Government-vs.-Small-Government Debate:

http://www.rollingstone.com/politics/blogs/taibblog/hurricane-sandy-and-the-myth-of-the-big-government-vs-small-government-debate-20121101

[Prospero]

SFTB... big humour failure on your part old fellow. Can't you tell the difference between a joke and a ludicrous evangelist actually belieing the nonsense they spout.
You old fellow are the fool here.

[kensterling]

I was evacuated from my beachside bungalow from one of the central jersey beachtowns. I am 3 houses from beach and though my house is a mess, it's still there. I am very lucky, others were not. Devestating to see what mother nature has done.
My prayers to others who were not as lucky.
I saw the post about somebody wanting the storm to kill all the homos. Well, I am a bi male escort, they missed me and my house! haha

[SFTB]

SFTB... big humour failure on your part old fellow. Can't you tell the difference between a joke and a ludicrous evangelist actually belieing the nonsense they spout.
You old fellow are the fool here.

Naw Prospero, you're just a smug hypocrit who got called on it.

[Prospero]

Name calling is a pointless exercise SFTB.

You should actually really look at my posts instead of your cheap little pavlovian responses.

I suggest you read the many many postings of substance I have offered about the election... instead of your snideness. You're not even as god at it as OMK. Have you offered anything of substance in defence of the GOP and Romney? let me see your wise words?

If you really really can't tell the difference between a joke an the sort of idiocy spouted by those preachers then you really do need to think a bit harder.

[SFTB]

Have you offered anything of substance in defence of the GOP and Romney? let me see your wise words?

All I see in your posts is a smug hypocrite taking potshots at what he sees at fault in American politics.

When you start posting about how your UK has never had a person of color as PM, or head of the military, or Secretary of State, or head of the country's police, well the list goes on. You've adopted our politics and hoped your's would go unnoticed.

You take a jab at the GOP convention when Isaac was barreling down on Tampa, well that's okay. A fringe church with 50 members says something about Sandy and it's "look how those Christian's are"

Worry about your own backyard for a change. When do you think we'll see a black Prime Minister? This century, next? Ever? Let's not open that can of worms huh? Shitty ole America starts looking pretty damn progressive if we compare it to some other places just across the "pond"

[Prospero]

Oh dear you do NOT get it... and dialoguing with you is rather pointless.

But let me say again - I was mentioning that an evangelical leader (a televangelist - so not quite a fringe church) was spewing the now familiar prejudiced bilge we get from these sorts of Christians. Check out remarks by the likes of Jerry Falwell n the past. We simply DO NOT have that kind of lunatic Christian in the Uk in any significant way... like that stupid ass fool in Florida The "Reverend" Jones whose Koran burning sparked the death of many innocents. I never characterised all Christians in any way. Most are good decent people.

As I've said before, the "storm barreling towards Tampa" was the subject of a light hearted jest accompanied by a satirical song. It was hardly the Frankenstorm that just hit the Easter seaboard. This thread started with a genuine expression of concern from me for the people of all sorts threatened by this storm. Any hate I may have is directed at the bigots who hijack religion for their own ends. (and outside of this thread for the racists and other right wing reactionaries who I perceive to threaten a country I love.)

And as for the UK's political record. I'm happy to debate that in detail. Does not pertain to the election as it is. I have not "hoped it will go unnoticed". What an asburd remark. Nr does my participation here suggest I beleive the UK is a better country that the US. A nonsensical thing to draw from my remarks.

(But on that topic yes we do have quite a lot of people from Ethnic minorities in the UK government - past and present. A Muslim woman who was chairman of the Tory Party until a few weeks ago. A Jew who was PM - has there ever been a Jewish President? A Jewish man who is now leader of our main opposition party. Two Mslims ministers in the last Labour Government. And many other Jewish, black and Muslim politicians etc etc. But as i say not relevent to a critique of US politics really.)

There are racist elements to may aspects of your election that are quite unique and not replicated in the UK (the birther nonsense, the attempt by Republican states to exclude black and hispanics from voting, the vile placards of Obama as an ape proudly carried by some Tea Party members etc etc)

I have never attacked America at all. I have often said here that I love the country. I have family and many friends there. It is you who called it "shitty old America". What is shitty in America is the conspiracy by right wingers to destroy much of what makes it great - to turn back the clock, to restrict women's rights etc etc....

I'm done with your stupid remarks now.

[zerrrr]

Want everyone to know that ConEd is turning power on in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Hopefully all of Manhattan will be up and running by tomorrow morning.

[housekeeper]

Want everyone to know that ConEd is turning power on in Manhattan and Brooklyn. Hopefully all of Manhattan will be up and running by tomorrow morning.
My power was on when I got home this evening, heat came on a couple of hours later. What I read this afternoon was east of Broadway south of Brooklyn bridge would have power restored today, so I can perhaps get into my office space Monday, the rest of Manhattan was supposed to be tomorrow, but they were a day early and not a minute to soon for me.

I'm completely exhausted, Miss Sally was a real ball buster, need to start getting caught up starting tomorrow as I was in the dark all week. Very trying, but NY has the best recovery teams anywhere in the world and I once again offer thanks to all the hard city workers. My prayers go out to the East Village residents, got to start remembering all of my friends now from AC on up the coast and within' my neighborhood, see if I can turn around and help out. Dodged another bullet this time and shit a couple of bricks, that bitch was too close for comfort...

[Prospero]

The Hideous Inequality Exposed by Hurricane Sandy


By David Rohde - Reuters

DAVID ROHDE - David Rohde is a columnist for Reuters, two-time winner of the Pulitzer Prize, and a former reporter for The New York Times. His forthcoming book, Beyond War: Reimagining American Influence in the New Middle East will be published in March 2013.

A hotel bellman said he was worried about his mother uptown. A maid said she had been calling her family in Queens. A garage attendant said he hadn't been able to contact his only relative - a sister in New Jersey - since the storm hit. Asked where he weathered the hurricane, his answer was simple.

"I slept in my car," he said.

Sandy humbled every one of the 19 million people in the New York City metropolitan area. But it humbled some more than others in an increasingly economically divided city.

Hours before the storm arrived on Monday night, restaurants, corner grocery stores and hotels were open in the Union Square area of Manhattan. (My wife and I moved to a hotel there after being ordered to evacuate our apartment in lower Manhattan.) Instead of heading home to their families as the winds picked up, the city's army of cashiers, waiters and other service workers remained in place.

Divides between the rich and the poor are nothing new in New York, but the storm brought them vividly to the surface. There were residents like me who could invest all of their time and energy into protecting their families. And there were New Yorkers who could not.

Those with a car could flee. Those with wealth could move into a hotel. Those with steady jobs could decline to come into work. But the city's cooks, doormen, maintenance men, taxi drivers and maids left their loved ones at home.

New census data shows that the city is the most economically divided it has been in a decade, according to the New York Times. As has occurred across the country, the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer. Twenty-one percent of the city is in poverty, and the median household income decreased by $821 annually. Per the Times: "Median income for the lowest fifth was $8,844, down $463 from 2010. For the highest, it was $223,285, up $1,919."

Manhattan, the city's wealthiest and most gentrified borough, is an extreme example. Inequality here rivals parts of sub-Saharan Africa. Last year the wealthiest 20 percent of Manhattan residents made $391,022 a year on average, according to census data. The poorest 20 percent made $9,681.

All told, Manhattan's richest fifth made 40 times more money than its poorest fifth, up from 38 times in 2010. Only a handful of developing countries - such as Namibia and Sierra Leone - have higher inequality rates.

In the Union Square area, New York's privileged - including myself - could have dinner, order a food delivery and pick up supplies an hour or two before Sandy made landfall. The cooks, cashiers and hotel workers who stayed at work instead of rushing home made that possible.

They were a diverse group. Some were young people in their twenties. Others were middle-aged Americans who had never landed white-collar jobs. Most were immigrants.

On the other end of the wealth spectrum, New York's age-old excesses emerged. Some families brought their nannies to the hotel to help care for their children through the hurricane. Others panicked when the power went off. All the while, waiters, maids and doormen continued to help them.

The storm affected the affluent as well. Tourists and business people from Boston, California, Britain and Japan were stranded in our hotel. They found themselves without power, water or transportation, and completely at the mercy of strangers.

But the city's heroes were the tens of thousands of policemen, firefighters, utility workers and paramedics who labored all night for $40,000 to $90,000 a year. And the local politicians who focused on performance, not partisanship, such as New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and Newark Mayor Corey Booker.

Twenty-four hours after the disaster, ugly political lines were already being drawn. Democrats pounced on a statement by Mitt Romney in a Republican primary debate last year that disaster response should be shifted to the states and, where possible, privatized. Michael Brown, the much criticized director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency under George W. Bush, argued that the Obama administration had responded more quickly to Hurricane Sandy than it did to the terrorist attack in Benghazi.

"One thing he's gonna be asked is, why did he jump on this so quickly and go back to D.C. so quickly when in ... Benghazi, he went to Las Vegas?" Brown was quoted as saying to a Denver alternative newspaper. "This is like the inverse of Benghazi."

Over the next few days, Obama's and Romney's reactions to the storm will be parsed. The role of the federal government in covering the costs of the disaster will be praised and assailed. Politicians, as always, will jockey for advantage.

The storm showed many things about New York. It exposed the city's vulnerabilities. It also displayed its strengths. And to me, it showed New York's growing economic divide. I'm sure that many of the people who remained at work yesterday chose to do so voluntarily. But I fear that many of them did not.

[kensterling]

Still no power beachside here at the Jersey shore. Looks like it's going to be awhile. A bit further down the coast they have it even worse. So hard to complain about no power! Not good for escort biz though. :)

[zerrrr]

Just a note that there are still major problems in the Rockaways and Coney Island. If you know of any friends, TS/TV/CD or otherwise, please check in on them.

[Wendy Summers]

Where are you Wendy?

I've had a few friends that were told 7-10 days, but got service back yesterday. They are from the suburbs North and West, though.

Hoping for the same good news for you.


I don't get too specific regarding where I live since I've had bad stalkers in the past. I was in the direct path, but I'm far enough away from the coast to have avoided flooding -- the wind did the bad damage in my area. My power & heat finally came back Monday Night.