
By David Futrelle
Irma’s path shifts westward, putting a seriously unprepared Tampa in its path.
There’s some other news, too. But we’ll start with Irma:
Irma takes aim at America’s most vulnerable, unprepared city: Tampa https://t.co/XvqPOuhfHZ pic.twitter.com/vzqqFY1NV9
— ThinkProgress (@thinkprogress) September 9, 2017
The Key West Southernmost point webcam for Irma features a lot of people making poor life choices today: https://t.co/TjGtErOYvZ pic.twitter.com/UUhkLoFZlD
— Faine Greenwood (@faineg) September 9, 2017
Hurricane #Irma, the most powerful Atlantic storm in a decade, leaves behind trail of destruction in the Caribbean https://t.co/pQYxTVm1u5 pic.twitter.com/SrqTc4hWpl
— ABC News (@ABC) September 9, 2017
[hurricanes]
"Not the time to talk about climate change."[shootings]
"Not the time to talk about gun control."[Nazi rallies]
"Not the t- pic.twitter.com/ZziWZF34Eg— The Volatile Mermaid (@OhNoSheTwitnt) September 8, 2017
Timeline of Rush Limbaugh statements pic.twitter.com/W3Kczrc33p
— Daniel Lin (@danwlin) September 9, 2017
The guy who calls himself Junk Science has thoughts. pic.twitter.com/dBsqBIx9EY
— shauna (@goldengateblond) September 9, 2017
As we depend on @NWS's hurricane forecasts to ensure safety for Americans, Congress wants to cut their budget.
☎️: https://t.co/CK8DRHcvJe https://t.co/k8luwjTo7X— 5 Calls 🇺🇸 (@make5calls) September 9, 2017
In other news:
Open Enrollment for health insurance purchased via the Affordable Care Act marketplaces begins November 1st, 2017! https://t.co/wfR3GggUPB
— L O L G O P (@LOLGOP) September 9, 2017
Good News: The DeSantis amendment defunding the Mueller investigation was killed in committee!! Well done, team. 💪☎️🏆 https://t.co/QHKWyHHUSj
— 5 Calls 🇺🇸 (@make5calls) September 9, 2017
Equifax is offering a free copy of my credit report. Of course, apparently it was already offering a free copy of my credit report.
— Ina Fried (@inafried) September 7, 2017
Privacy tip: Don't have a credit score, or a Social Security number or an address. Live naked and alone in the woods like a solitary bear. https://t.co/z9KMusTGoB
— Aaron Sankin (@ASankin) September 7, 2017
Seriously hackers, y'all gotta do better. I don't need leaks from HBO, I need my student loan balance reduced to $12
— L. Joy Williams (@ljoywilliams) September 8, 2017
This is how the history buffs at @FDRLST would like you to remember Charlottesville. pic.twitter.com/gDJYAILOuQ
— Christian Vanderbrouk 🇺🇸 (@UrbanAchievr) September 8, 2017
https://twitter.com/_grendan/status/905844826771476480
How to use a piano to stalk your exhttps://t.co/GPfO7BuRCA
— David Futrelle (@DavidFutrelle) September 9, 2017
It's a good thing that pedophile MRAs are getting a chance to have their say on campus rape. 😒#StopBetsy pic.twitter.com/tbdSJjbeBW
— TakedownMRAs (@TakedownMRAs) September 8, 2017
On a lighter note. Or maybe not?
Well that got unexpectedly bleak pic.twitter.com/hO9WOmqHV3
— Neil Miles (@neilsmiles) September 6, 2017
Animal time!
https://twitter.com/BBAnimals/status/906428481273253888
https://twitter.com/dognkitty/status/906344972927897600
https://twitter.com/awwcuteness/status/906583996297031680
Also bugs!
https://twitter.com/invisibleman_17/status/906069959670947840
@Still Fiqah,
Why am I not surprised that a warning like that really needed to be issued? >.<
On the other hand, it did answer the question of whether it is possible to shoot straight at a target in hurricane-force winds. (Short answer: no.)
OT: is there going to be a regular open thread anytime soon? I'm feeling a need right now to vent about a customer at my workplace, his pet dog, a health inspector, and the Americans with Disabilities Act. But I'm not sure which current thread would be best for it outside of an official open thread.
Stay safe my Floridians!
The Washington Post has had hurricanes rather than Trump on its front page for several days now. I’m wondering how long it will be until he gets tired of being pushed out of the spotlight by a force of nature and does something stupid/ridiculous again just to regain it. This is a prime thing to throw at one of the Alex Jones cultists– if the government really did have a weather control machine, Trump would have commandeered it by now (and also bragged about it).
Still Fiqah, stay safe!
Hope the rest of you in Florida are staying safe as well!
Dear Pianoman,
It is only amazingly romantic when it is reciprocated;
right now your ‘Rapunzel’ will be reflecting on how she made the right decision, but also probably a bit worried;
you are 34 ffs, if you were HALF that age this would still be a bit off, but a man of 34 doing this is more than embarrassing and creepy;
life isn’t a rom com.
Ok, I get the guy, he thinks this is a totally romantic expression of how enduring his love and conviction is.
Can HE understand, that doing things that the lady, he is “wooing”, doesn’t really enjoy is just a massive ego-masturbation with no regard for her feelings.
Maybe that last part is EXACTLY WHY SHE BROKE UP WITH YOU!
Also: Stay save everyone.
Talking about the piano guy has blown up my Twitter in a way where I’m having trouble following the conversation now. And all because a friend asked me why I thought it was a creepy move on his part.
Piano Stalker reminds me of a bit from a Cracked video on pop culture.
(Paraphrased for brevity)
“They’re going to make a Harley/Joker prequel as a rom-com.”
“What? Doesn’t the Joker torture Harley into insanity so she’ll fall in love with him?”
“So it IS a rom-com!”
As we know, the only difference between psychological horror and romantic comedy is camera angles and background music.
Nequam – that was exactly what I was thinking, too.
Sinkable John – my reaction as well. Some Earthly creatures look like eldritch abominations in extreme close up. Sometimes I look at trees until I can see them as living entities (as distinct from inanimate objects), which is unsettling, but they’re nothing compared to tiny arthropods.
If I wasn’t already so negligent about updating my current blog, I always thought I’d like to start one that reviews romance and rom-coms as if they were horror movies. Almost all of them seem to involve stalking and/or deceit and manipulation.
So far, the piano thing looks like public whining rather than stalking. I suspect there might also be actual stalking going on, and he might be covertly seeking feedback that will generally validate his ex-girlfriend obsession.
QFT
@Redsilkphoenix: There’s a South Floridian tradition of hurricane parties. We cook up a bunch of food while we have power, and sit around eating and drinking a LOT of alcohol. It takes the edge off. HOWEVER – this is never done with Category 3 and up storms. Because you need a clear head. Otherwise you start doing reckless things, like taking pictures of yourself in front of the churning, furious ocean, or playing in flood waters, or SHOOTING AT HURRICANES.
@David: Thank you, we will!
EVERYBODY ELSE IN AMERICA’S MOST PENIS-SHAPED STATE: Take care, stay vigilant, stay safe and stay INSIDE because it’s real out here. #FloridaStrong
Unless your solar setup was damaged (i.e. solar panels and storage batteries), you would be up & running as soon as the storm passed.
If your power comes in by power lines and they get damaged, you would be shit out of luck until they are repaired. (I was in Atlanta during Hurricane Opal. A tree branch snapped a power line feeding our subdivision – no other damage – and we were without power for 3 days.)
@Robert
It may be boringly euclidian, but it’s still nightmare fuel. Lovecraft’s got nothing on our tiny neighbors.
Did I ever mention how you sometimes hear the spiders in this house before you see them ? They’re that big. I’m gonna crawl under something now and hope to fuck it’s not already occupied.
Update: Piano Man quit after realizing he was making himself “the largest fool in the West Country” and embarrassing his ex, but apparently not before some rando punched him in the face.
https://inews.co.uk/essentials/news/uk/bristol-piano-player-got-punched-head-thats-not-stopped-playing/