observations

[omegajim]

noticing that as prepared as they thought they were, a really bad hurricaine hits ny, and all of a sudden, they realize.

They realize the system (the grid as it were, for power mainly, but for natural gas to a lesser extent with the colder weather arriving) is not all perfect and while reasonable preparations were made, an act of nature on this scale could not be reasonably anticipated.

At which point one realizes, nature is not reasonable, and you learn that the preparations you took lose out - in some cases by a matter of inches, and the resulting catastrophe may take a week or more to resume things back to some sense of normal.

or, more aptly, jarring people into a reality where things don't always work perfectly, tough situations occur, worst case secnarios happen.

Then you realize there is more than just "you" and people you know or the tv show last night loses it's (its?) meaning and there is a matter of life and death to let you know what is really important.

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[inspiron]

To be honest, the media outside of the USA has been talking about the fact that the US infrastructure (mostly the power grid, but other utilities are also affected) has been poorly maintained for a long time. The widespread blackout on the east coast several years ago highlighted the fact.

[omegajim]

a little late in answering - but a hurricaine the size of Sandy is (supposedly) a "once in 100" year sort of thing.

It would be most analogous to a huge ww2 bombing raid and decrying the infrastructure was not up to snuff; it may well not have been, but when you put a wall of sea water flooding everything (I think the highest part of Manhatten is something like 50 ft above sea level, if that) and combined with all the tubes and tunnels that make the modern world so modern, it kind of is a recipe for disaster.

That all said, I won't argue that the infrastructure (in particular the waterworks) are woefully ancient - big chunks of NYC water system are pushing 100 years old - and that is including valves that they don't know if they will open if they ever need to be shut.

More local and recent, a cold snap (around 0 or -20 C) is about to hit, won't need to buy much ice for my beverages; will be able to set the ice cube trays out on the patio.

[QZephyr]

Yep, we hit 55 yesterday and I worked late. Today was too windy. Tomorrow they say high of 20. I prefer the streets a bit cleaner though.

[AfterDarker]

A few days back we had the hottest day ever.recorded in Sydney 45 degrees C, about 112 degrees F.
I rode to work but, for once, left the jacket at home.

[omegajim]

that's nice to remind us of the cold dark north that somebody is getting nice weather......

btw - I have been reading around victoria there has been a "gold strike" by which I mean some chum stumbled (with a metal detector) a 5 kg chunk of gold.

what's up with that?

and for the 45 C, sorry to hear about that. About the warmest I have driven is about 38 C.

[QZephyr]

This past summer I rode 100+f (38+c). At 80 mph I couldn't catch any heat break. The air was so hot and humid. The kicker was I just ate 3 footlong chili dogs with onion rings.

[AfterDarker]

Would have been even hotter following you

[JmalB]

Toxic at the very least.

[omegajim]

weather has been skizoid lately - fairly warm (40s) then a week or so of around 0 to be followed up by more weather in the 40s in a couple of days.

Don't believe I have ever seen an average day in WI.

[inspiron]

We had below-freezing temperatures last weekend, with snow and ice-rain.

Tomorrow they are predicting 15°C (60°F) - I've made an appointment to take my bike in for inspection.

[omegajim]

we are in the process of record hot (60 F) to a bit below normal (0 F) so a 60 degree F drop - or about 35 degrees C in the course of 2 days.

in other news, I slipped and fell (backwards) and needed some staples in my melon; the good and the bad results

a) the fall was minor, no concussion and dr said I was pretty lucky there wasn't a lot more injury involved with the fall.
b) the blood pressure was / is too high - the blood center ( I donate regularly) was reporting it a bit high, but I am thinking they were not as accurate as the dr's office in taking my blood pressure.

SO I will be going on high blood pressure medicine, until I get serious about my weight, my excercise, and my diet, but all in all the accident may have saved my life as the blood center pressure may have been a bit low and my blood pressure may have been high for a while longer than previously thought.

[intimid8er]

Yikes. That sucks.

[omegajim]

don't know if any of you have heard, but there is a football game today; american football, excuse me.

[AfterDarker]

A lot of guys have heart attacks while watching football, even in less exciting forms such as American football, so be careful