Now That I’m Back

***

Having been in the direct path of superstorm Sandy, I lost power for 4 days and regular Internet access for 10 days. It’s taking me a while to absorb all that has happened since that last weekend of October 2012. To cover all in one post would be unfair to these monumental events. For now a few blurbs.

^^^

Sandy

Frankenstorm, superstorm, hurricane, tropical cyclone Sandy – however it’ll be remembered – was the most devastating natural disaster I’ve lived through. And my partner Jorge & I weren’t nearly as bad off as so many others in New Jersey and the NYC metro area. Yeah, we lost power for 4 days – very strange living without electricity. But thanks to our apartment building’s backup generators we had hot & cold water, one elevator and power in the hallways.

Losing cable service for 10 days meant no TV or regular Internet access. I listened to more radio over those 10 days than the last 40 years put together, including the election returns. Jorge & I shared a wireless card with 3G/4G service – when available. Learned a couple of things about the wireless card (geek alert): 3G service is like not being on line at all; 4G is decent. 4G reception is impossible to get between 5-8 PM. On my desktop PC the default LAN had to be disabled as not to conflict with the LAN created by the card.

We take so much for granted in our daily lives that was simply unavailable during the storm. It takes a lot of adjustment and adaptability to get through such life-altering disruptions. I have studiously refrained from complaining about such inconveniences as millions were, are and will be far worse off. How do you adapt or adjust to losing your home and everything you own? The courage and fortitude of the people hit by Sandy will live forever in my memory.

^^^

The Utility Companies

We were lucky – only 4 days without power. As of today, 2 weeks later, there are still thousands without power. Most are at the mercy of the Long Island Power Authority (LIPA). Long Island residents are demonstrating against LIPA as their only means of expressing rage against the utility’s abject failure to respond to the emergency. LIPA is always the worst culprit but other utilities aren’t far behind. NY Governor Andrew Cuomo mirrored my and others’ rage in one of his daily status briefings: Yes this was a brutal storm creating exigent circumstances for the utilities. But customers pay for service and part of that should be preparation for exactly such exigent circumstances. They weren’t and never have been. Storm after storm, year after year they’re not prepared and politicians do much blathering about accountability. Then it’s forgotten until the next time. And it just continues storm after storm. Is there no way to force utilities to be prepared with a better storm emergency strategy than one that leaves millions in the dark for lengthy periods of time? If Cuomo just fines them as has been done in the past it’s cheaper for the utilities to pay the fines rather than reform their preparedness procedures for when their services are most needed.

11/14/12 Update: LIPA CEO Michael Hervey tendered his resignation in the face of withering criticism of LIPA's response to superstorm Sandy outages.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/boss-ny-utility-panned-sandy-response-quits-17712250#.UKOcbofAdv4

^^^

The Election

Being such a political junkie I was amazed to find that Sandy threw me off track for the run up to Election Day. Those who know me also know that speaks volumes. The reelection of President Obama bolstered my faith in the American electorate which refused to buy Mitt Romney’s vague platitudes and promises. It took sophistication not to choose a guy running on the assumption that Obama was so despised it would be a cake walk to the White House. Americans rejected Republican obstructionism, electing more Democrats to the Senate as well as giving the president a 2nd term.

How did team Obama sneak up to crush team Romney despite polling showing such a close race? Two words: ground game. The Obama campaign micro-targeted districts in swing states, the voters in which came out in droves much to the shock of the Romney campaign. (See http://aboutnothing-doug.blogspot.com/2012/11/shell-shocked-on-election-day.html) Shock & disbelief for team Romney as team Obama proved itself to be one of the greatest campaign operations in American history.

Onward, upward and forward.

***