I’ve been posting local updates on Hurricane Sandy from West Ocean City, Maryland on Ocean City Blog at http://marylandonmymind.com. We’re approaching afternoon low tide so I’m going out to reconnoiter on foot, and possibly move the car to higher ground. We’re expecting the worst of the storm Monday afternoon and night. I’ll try to post some photos and thoughts here later in the day. — John
Rising water from the marsh creeps closer to houses not far from where I live in West Ocean City. Taken Sunday afternoon. I guess there’s a reason they call this “wetlands.”
10:30 p.m. Sunday, still above water in West Ocean City, MD. (Although my roof is leaking again.) Just finished writing a detailed news report over at Ocean City Blog. It’s raining hard and the wind’s picking up. But this baby is only beginning. They’re calling Sandy a hybrid hurricane/nor’easter now. Continue reading
No one here is taking Hurricane Sandy lightly. The town of Ocean City and Worcester County, which is Maryland’s only oceanfront county, have ordered limited partial evacuations. Good thing the summer tourist season is over, or there’d be a lot more people to evacuate. For specifics, see the Ocean City Blog, AKA Maryland On My Mind.
A prolonged siege of rain, high wind, and flooding is expected. It’s raining now (1:30 p.m. Sunday afternoon), with some very localized flooding already. But the worst is not expected until Monday afternoon and Monday night. Continue reading
A GOOD DAY TO VOTE — Nothing I write here, or say or do, is going to change the course of Sandy, whether she be a hurricane or a tropical storm. Meanwhile, early voting begins today in Maryland. I’m going over to Berlin (our early voting location in this corner of the state) and say hello to my friends in the parking lot. Then I’ll go inside and vote for my president, Barack Obama, my vice president, Joe Biden, and my U.S. senator, Ben Cardin. And I’ll write in the name of John LaFerla, the official Democratic candidate for Congress. By so doing I’ll also be voting for Peace, Social Security, Medicare, Medicaid, and health care for all. — John
CALM BEFORE THE STORM — Hurricane Sandy might become disorganized into a big Tropical Storm by the time she hits Maryland. Or she might roll right over Baltimore as a Cat. 1 Hurricane. Or, if she stays over the Atlantic, Sandy could be Cat. 2 by the time she hits NYC. If she comes inland, hope she at least keeps moving! I don’t want her stopped by cold air from the north, dumping rain and possibly snow on my house for three straight days! — John
Be advised that a hurricane named Sandy is swirling off the coast of Florida and heading north. Sandy will bypass Florida and probably the Carolinas as it follows a north-northeast curve.
Halfway up the coast, Sandy is expected to turn left and take aim straight into the densely populated East Coast of the U.S. Broadcasters and headline writers are trampling each other in their rush to label Sandy “the perfect storm.” Continue reading
My unfinished review of J.K. Rowling’s “The Casual Vacancy” is weighing heavy on my mind. Also, I’ve been wanting to post a remembrance of Sen. George McGovern, who passed over to a more peaceful place on Sunday, at the age of 90. And I have another “power in a box” review waiting to be written, about the new Kindle Fire. Nevertheless, I’m distracted by the sound of distant thunder. Hurricane Sandy is heading north with potential to rearrange the Eastern Seaboard. The hurricane is the blip on the radar that I cannot ignore. — John
This post by another blogger ends with a thoughtful prayer. Click on “read more” to see the entire post and the prayer. It’s not very long. — John
I was perusing MSN’s homepage, and I found a slideshow on war-torn Libya. I could not help but be struck with a sense of awe while looking at this picture. Take a moment and just look at the details. Please.
In a world with so many modern advances– cancer research, clean energy, cell phones, and the Internet– I struggle with the idea that people feel the need to destroy cities and kill people to “win.” Aren’t there more 21st Century ways of dealing with problems? The destruction in this picture represents a total disregard for life and progress. And what does all of this destruction accomplish?
The fact does not allude me that when and where we are born is not a choice. I am lucky that my house is not one of the bombed apartments in this picture. Right now, I have pumpkins and scarecrows in my yard. I am celebrating autumn and anticipating Halloween…
View original post 193 more words
I hereby recuse myself from analyzing the debate performance of President Barack Obama, Gov. Mitt Romney, and moderator Candy Crowley. I reserve the right to criticize the performance of the cable TV commentators. Their constant analysis of the debates in the past few weeks has been over the top. — John
Can Scotland separate from Great Britain?
The age of empires is long since over. The Roman Empire, the Byzantine Empire, the British Empire are history.
Can it be possible that cohesive nations are on the brink of extinction, sort of slow-moving dinosaurs not well adapted to survive in the hyper-fast digital age and the internationalized economy?
NPR News reports today that Scotland will hold a referendum in two years, with the approval of Great Britain. Who knows what the voters will decide?
Large federations covering vast land masses are subject to powerful Centrifugal forces. Continue reading
Living Simply And Still On The Grid 