OT, Sandy Path people

[chunkyfrog]

A big Thermos of hot cocoa for the honor guard at the tomb of the Unknown!
Thank you!

[Slartybartfast]

Yes, that picture sort of makes me want to stand out there with them in the rain for at least a little while. The rain would help mask the tears running down my face when I think of all the young folks who have lost their lives in the service of their country.

[SleepyToo2]

And I also salute all those first-responders who had to go rescue those idiots who insisted that Sandy couldn't be any worse than Irene (that they "survived") then complained when the water rose up to their kneecaps. I am sorry, but I have zero patience for anyone who thinks they can defy Mother Nature. I think the world would be better off without them, but the humanistic side of my nature tells me that cannot happen!

[2 B Sleeping Soundly]

... He sent me the following one which was circulating around the campus yesterday:

Wow, what a powerful picture! May we always remember and give honor to those who have given the ultimate sacrifice... who gave it all!

[Starlette]

Slartybartfast where is that taken with the soldiers?

[Bons]

The advantage of being a pastor is that most of my freezer and fridge contents have been transferred to the church kitchen! I cooked all my meals and washed at the kitchen sink here for two weeks last Oct/Nov. due to a blizzard, so this is becoming a tradition.

Half of our county is without electricity, but the damage was much less than feared. Good thing about droughts is that the river that runs through our city was running several feet below normal, and we got less rain than anticipated. I made it to my home health aide job this morning and didn't have to climb 9 flights of stairs to her apartment, which was good. Across the street a section of 4 row homes all lost all of their shingles. I am lucky enough to say that we need to get ONE loose shingle repaired. Lots of trees down and road closures, but other than one guy who was killed near us when a tree fell on his house, most of our area will be okay.

Hubby had a good laugh at his Wally World job on Saturday. A guy came in who had just picked up a generator elsewhere, and bought a whole bunch of power strips and extension cords, planning to power his entire house from the portable generator.... he tried to set the guy straight, but of course the guy knew what he was talking about!

My brother-in-law got word that his 30-foot cabin fishing charter boat was swept out to sea off the coast of New Jersey.

[Slartybartfast]

Slartybartfast where is that taken with the soldiers?

That's the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which I think they're now calling the Tomb of the Unknowns, in order to be more inclusive of everyone, not just soldiers, who have died. The two CIA heroes who disobeyed orders recently in order to respond to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and lost their lives, come to mind.

It's in Arlington, VA, probably at the Arlington National Cemetary. The inscription on the tomb says, simply "An American Soldier."

Having never been there, perhaps someone can verbally slap me and tell me I'm all wet, too.

My son said that pic was making the rounds at Liberty University yesterday and he sent it to me.

[chunkyfrog]

Unknowns, to include all the medics, nurses, and other support personnel who gave their all in wartime.

[PST]

Unknowns, to include all the medics, nurses, and other support personnel who gave their all in wartime.

And sailors, marines, airmen.

[purple]

I seem to recall that the more merchant marine died in WWII than US Navy sailors.

[bdp522]

I'm on Long Island, south shore about mid point. We lost power for about 4 hours, but more than 80% of the island has no power. We had no damage to house or property, but huge amounts of damage surround us. Massive flooding, transformers exploding, huge trees blocking roads with live power line tangled in branches. No cell service to most of the island and most land lines not working. All bridges and tunnels off the island were closed for a while as were all major roads. We were very lucky! They are saying 2 weeks or more to get power restored to many areas. Schools are closed again today and may be for the rest of the week, it isn't safe to be on the roads yet. Branches and trees and some utility poles are still falling or in danger of coming down any minute. Newsday.com has lots of pix of what's happening here.

Brenda

[ughwhatname]

Just one thing to add. That photo is circulating now, and I believe many think it relates to the hurricane. It does not. That pic was taken September 18.

Slartybartfast where is that taken with the soldiers?

That's the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which I think they're now calling the Tomb of the Unknowns, in order to be more inclusive of everyone, not just soldiers, who have died. The two CIA heroes who disobeyed orders recently in order to respond to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and lost their lives, come to mind.

It's in Arlington, VA, probably at the Arlington National Cemetary. The inscription on the tomb says, simply "An American Soldier."

Having never been there, perhaps someone can verbally slap me and tell me I'm all wet, too.

My son said that pic was making the rounds at Liberty University yesterday and he sent it to me.

[Starlette]

In light of what has happened with hurricane Sandy, I hope a executive order is given to postpone the presidential election to gives ALL voters a chance to vote.

Starlette

[PST]

In light of what has happened with hurricane Sandy, I hope a executive order is given to postpone the presidential election to gives ALL voters a chance to vote.

I respectfully disagree. The legality of the President postponing the election is very doubtful. There is a good discussion of this in an AP story reported (among other places) at http://www.14news.com/story/19955989/qa ... =printable. Even if he could do it, though, I think it would be perceived as illegitimate and would cause many people to question the outcome of the election.

If the storm had hit a week later than it did, we would have a real problem on our hands. But it looks as a practical matter like the affected states will be able to pull the elections off. I wonder if the number of people on the east coast who would be enabled by a short delay isn't far smaller than the number elsewhere who would fail to vote out of confusion or absent-mindedness if the election were delayed.

One reason an executive order delaying the election would look so bad is that delay would probably help the President. Most of the affected states are solid blue, so timing is unlikely to affect the outcome. Virginia, however, is most certainly in play, and the Democrats' strength is in the DC suburbs in the northeast of the state where the storm hit. Postponing the election would look like the President was giving his supporters extra time. I don't actually thing the outcome in Pennsylvania is in doubt, but there the geographical situation is similar. The President is strongest in the storm-tossed Philadelphia area, not the west, so delay again would look self-serving.

I believe everyone should have the right to vote too, but postponing the election would probably do more harm than good in reaching that goal, and if the delay were by executive order, it would raise questions about the legitimacy of the outcome that could divide the nation even more than it is divided today. I don't think it will happen.

[Slartybartfast]

Just one thing to add. That photo is circulating now, and I believe many think it relates to the hurricane. It does not. That pic was taken September 18.

Slartybartfast where is that taken with the soldiers?

That's the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier, which I think they're now calling the Tomb of the Unknowns, in order to be more inclusive of everyone, not just soldiers, who have died. The two CIA heroes who disobeyed orders recently in order to respond to the attack on the U.S. consulate in Benghazi, and lost their lives, come to mind.

It's in Arlington, VA, probably at the Arlington National Cemetary. The inscription on the tomb says, simply "An American Soldier."

Having never been there, perhaps someone can verbally slap me and tell me I'm all wet, too.

My son said that pic was making the rounds at Liberty University yesterday and he sent it to me.

Right. Classes were canceled so you have a bunch of college students with nothing to do but e-mail each other, and that pic was one my son forwarded to me. He never said, and neither did I say that the pic was taken yesterday. Just that it was circulating yesterday. But rain is rain, and you have to admire the dedication of those young guys who stand there and guard the tomb in remembrance of those who have served in whatever capacity.