Happy Halloween, Samhain, All Hallow's Eve, or whatever it is you call today. I'm taking my namesake to school today (meaning I'll be dressed up as a kitty.) If you have a problem with me dressing up, just remember that I'm a capable adult who makes my own decisions, and I have more important things to worry about than your obsession with other peoples' dressing habits. :)
We have a bunch of news related to Sandy today, all brought to us by Chuck. So I'm putting that under this heading, and thanks Chuck!
-- At NYU, some brilliant designer put the generators side by side in the basement, including the emergency generator. When the basement flooded, all the generators failed, leaving the hospital to evacuate hundreds of patients, with many of them in critical condition. In some cases, nurses had to ride with infants, helping them to breathe with squeeze bags. At Bellevue, the basement floor generators failed, and workers made a human chain to pass containers of fuel up 13 flights of stairs in order to keep the patients safe.
-- In NYC, evacuees were mostly safe in the shelters, but one group of people had to fight the city and the storm. Homeless people were allegedly turned away from evacuation shelters. Homeless shelters allowed more people in than they are allotted, going over capacity. Churches and outreach groups attempted to help the homeless get off the streets, but there was just not enough room for everyone. When something like this happens, it becomes obvious that this is a daily problem for these people, rather than just a freak event.
-- Occupy has gone from protesting to recovery and relief after Sandy passed through NYC. Occupy has joined up with 350.org and recovers.org to help the people of the city. They have organized and are canvassing neighborhoods to see what they can do to assist. The first link provides more of the story, and the second also lists how you can get involved.
-- [Chuck] Here is an interesting little video of spoken word poetry with a song behind it, titled "The Revolution is Televised, but You are not Watching.
-- In Sacramento, protesters are pushing back against a new ordinance that restricts their freedom to protest. This link provided a video with interviews concerning why the protesters feel it is stifling, and what others have to say about it.
-- In Belfast, protesters have been Occupying an abandoned bank, but now something dangerous has happened. A fire broke out in the bank last night, while no one was present at the site. No evacuations were necessary at the empty building, and no one was injured. Officials are investigating the cause of the blaze, and the amount of damage caused is not yet clear.
-- In Portland, Occupiers have been fighting back against the foreclosure of a home owned by Patricia Williams and Darren Johnson. The couple currently have a case in court concerning the home, but that did not stop their mortgage company from demanding an eviction, resulting in riot cops swooping in and pepper-spraying protesters. Police evicted the family, allowing Patricia (who has a pulmonary disease) to get her oxygen but not her medicines from the home. In this link, you can read the story and follow an interior link to a live-update page, where a play-by-play of the events can be found.
***Solidarity***
To contact me, email elvishbutterfly@hotmail.com. Thanks.
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