The Hurricane

I wasn't directly affected by Sandy (aside from rain and wind that was really no big deal), but that doesn't stop me from getting teary-eyed at my desk. The images are rather disturbing -- so much damage and it's hard to imagine.

Actually my hometown was hit hard with snow from the hurricane, so my parents were without power for a few days. Luckily it's back and they're hearty people, so all is well now. I worry, though, because their house is powered by electricity, so they were so cold. They seemed unfazed by the whole thing though.

There's a lot of talk in the blogosphere about the NYC Marathon. I am completely incapable of having an opinion on whether it should go on, but it is and that's that. The last I knew, runners could still defer but would have to pay the (STEEP) registration fee all over again (they couldn't at least get a well-discounted fee?). They canceled a lot of the events like the 5k and opening ceremonies (I think). I'm curious to see what the expo is like and to read the race recaps.

But I wish the runners well -- and if I were registered and could get to NYC and stay there, I would be running. Honestly I see so many points of view, and I am really not in the position to judge. I hope the runners are okay and not blamed for the marathon continuing. Here's a cool story about some local marathoners volunteering instead of running the race they're already registered for.

And I hope it does bring a shit-ton of money to the city.

A short roundup of stories:

• Hurricane Sandy: The Aftermath
• Haunting Aerial Photos Of The Fire Destruction In Breezy Point
• Bodies of Staten Island boys, age 2 and 4, are found in marsh; death toll at 17 here
• 26 Truly Inspiring Images From Hurricane Sandy
• 5 Ways You Can Help Hurricane Sandy Victims

There are also a bunch of NYC bloggers who have helped put some of the destruction in perspective. I freakin' love the internet and the blog world. Were it not for these, I would really have very little clue as to what was going on over on the East Coast. Even New Yorkers are conflicted about whether the marathon should go on.

There's also drama about the Giants-Steelers game. There've been stories about how the Steelers can't find a place to stay so they're flying in on Sunday. Seems like moving the game to Pittsburgh probably would have been the best bet -- wouldn't screw with CBS's schedule, wouldn't affect MNF, same time zone and everything. And it would even be sometime karmic since the Giants gained an extra home game and Katrina forced the Saints game out.