Pretty impressive NASA shot of Hurricane Sandy.. Last night the National Hurricane Center downgraded Sandy to a tropical storm, but was forced to upgrade it again when winds increased. There is debate in weather circles about the downgrade and lots of folks think the NHC made a mistake by downgrading it—some began to think the storm will weaken.

It will strike with ferocity no matter its status.. Be aware an ready. It all begins Sunday for many..

The Saturday morning Frankenstorm update

• Accuweather has a running live blog as events develop about Sandy..


• Henry Margusity has a great blog and you can also find up to date information from him on Twitter


• Here are all of the latest maps and coordinates of Sandy


• The Weather Channel has great coverage of the storm


• And finally here is a goodnews feed andphoto wire feed

All of those links are worthy to look at now and as the storm continues. 

Here at Coal Speaker base, it appears as though Sandy is going to be making a direct run for my neck of the woods. As she does she is going to be bringing hell and high water to numerous mid-Atlantic states. 

I worry about the storm surge in New York City, along with the underground subway system. I really do. They are prepping for disaster, but I don’t know if they are ready for catastrophe (which we all hope to hell does not occur).. 

The wind will be a major issue. I doubt my power will stay on, though I hope it fends for its electrical life as Sandy hovers over.. Also a fear: The rain. Last year Lee and Irene dumped enough to flood out so many places here in Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Delaware.. Remember though 8 to 12 inches of rain fell over a week. This time the rain will be just as heavy and fall within 3 to 4 days. That will make situations much faster and dramatic. Flash flooding instead of a slowly creeping water line.. All this while power is out..? This is going to be a truly devastating storm for so many people..

If only divine intervention could toss it out to see.. Or Governor Chris Christie’s mighty blow from his 500 pound bag of wind. Neither appears likely at this point.

Hurricane Sandy’s latest track, or several tracks, as projected by various computer models. Pick your favorite… My favorite would be a going out to sea, obviously that won’t happen. A weekend to prepare for weather hell next week.

Hurricane Sandy’s latest track, or several tracks, as projected by various computer models. Pick your favorite… My favorite would be a going out to sea, obviously that won’t happen. A weekend to prepare for weather hell next week.

Ok I’m a little scared now

Ugh

Tonight’s debate was like watching Bush debate Bush and Bush and Bush tied

Tree tops lit in an autumnal blaze of solar glory

Another breathtaking scene from under the trees at sunset.. One day in October
2012

Beautiful sunset

Have an amazing day, days like today are nothing less but amazing

You can't be serious? A California middle school has asked that an 11-year-old boy be transferred elsewhere because he carries a mutation of the gene for cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease that is not considered contagious. His parents say they will take the issue to court

You can't be serious? A California middle school has asked that an 11-year-old boy be transferred elsewhere because he carries a mutation of the gene for cystic fibrosis, a life-threatening genetic disease that is not considered contagious. His parents say they will take the issue to court

Tis the season: Taking another look at Halloween 3

Years ago, I would host and attend regular movie parties. We’d sit and watch awful films, laugh at plots, mock the narrative, and just have genuine fun. It was like MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 with a bunch of immature brats and younger adults who wanted to stay young—all of us were not paid for our efforts, but I dare say we came up with good comedy. If only iPhones and YouTube were available in the late 1990s, we’d have great podcasts. Maybe we would have been sued by companies for copyright issues.

One film caught our attention early and became a long standing joke for life: Halloween 3, the Season of the Witch.

If you never saw it, don’t be fooled by the name. It has nothing to do with the lunatic killer Michael Myers, and no it was not made by Rob Zombie. This movie was from director John Carpenter. He didn’t want to create another Halloween starring ‘The Shape’ so instead he changed the story. This one features a mask making company called Silver Shamrock that does some funky things with cursed rocks from Stonehenge and comes up with a plot to kill all kids that buy masks they create. The movie features women who look like robots that have their heads come off, awful music that never seems to end, and kids wearing pumpkin masks that turn into bugs and snakes.  In doing so John Carpenter violated a rule some horror movie makers go by: Not to kill off children in brutal ways in movies. Though it wasn’t brutal but actually quite tacky, leading to the humorous nature of the film.. In other words,it’s one of the one films ever made.

Or is it?

This is where I wonder if it was maybe not as bad as it seems. Are we just judging the movie when compared to Sam Loomis shreaking about a monster in Haddonfield? If so Halloween 3 will never be as good. 

In all fairness, the notion of wearing a mask and having it turn into snakes and bugs is frightening. In the movie it happens at 9pm because Silver Shamrock has seemingly been able to convince the entire youth of America that they should be home by 9 to watch ‘the big giveaway’ live on TV. It’s assumed that all cable networks at the time (1970s) were going to run the 9pm ad from the company. I know, I try to be logical, even with an illogical horror movie.

I think this film would have been much better were it to have been made in current times. Seriously. Think of it, minus our the mockery of the movie I’m sure you have done along with me and my friends, the movie has a social message: People are convinced easily by awful ads on TV to do just about anything. Including rushing home from tick or treating to tune in for some stupid giveaway. People are mind-numbed by television.. and even more modern technology has fried the parts of the brain that did not happen to become numb in the process of life.

In other words Halloween 3 is an epic narrative… a dark comedy.. an eloquent judgement on our times: Parents who will buy anything for their kids, including masks that will eventually turn into the demise of the nation. And kids will want anything to fit in. And in the end,  parents and kids will be equal in their inability to think for themselves and be convinced by whatever advertising tells them to do. 

I don’t think John Carpenter thought he was making a social commentary. Instead, watching Season of the Witch, it would appear that he was just smoking a hell of a lot of pot.

So … sing the song and watch the TV. Watch… watch… watch… 

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jmSP5b_Mi6g]

It’s really almost Halloween!?

A 'veteran bigfoot hunter' has his 1973 Winnebego damaged--he tells cops to look for Bigfoot

Sadly it’s not just a ‘only in Pennsylvania’ story.. This could be Anytown USA these days.

A 'veteran bigfoot hunter' has his 1973 Winnebego damaged--he tells cops to look for Bigfoot

I’ll save the sappy stuff for the tenth anniversary. But today, October 20, 2012, is a pretty big deal. My wife Tara and I have been married now for 5 years as of 12noon today. Right now about 5 years ago the party was just beginning…a reception to end all receptions. And then some.

It has been an amazing five years. But even more amazing is contemplating just where exactly the time goes. Five years ago we were young and the future was ahead of us. Today we have a son and the future is here, moving quickly, becoming the past. Watching our son Ayden growing is a miracle in itself, but it also allows us to forget about our own aging process. I guess that is what our parents told us would happen…

Yes, indeed, five years back now a marriage just began. Today it’s strong. Tomorrow it will continue. Of course there are fights and frowns, but there are also laughs and happiness. Relationships are helped with children. They bring meaning and something ‘more’ to the lives we lead.. A family began with a walk on a bridge under autumn leaves. It continues today.
Five years later, on to ten.

Madonna says the use of guns was a metaphor

But she still chose to open her Denver show with the simulated use of guns, and shooting at the audience. Some were offended by that, others are just angry that she showed up three hours late. No word on whether she took her clothes off or not…

Madonna says the use of guns was a metaphor

Another fun adventure in parenting: Ayden takes one bite out of every cracker and that is it.

The latest in parenting: Ayden gets admonished on a regular basis not to put crayons in his mouth. His response? By telling me what color they are. I see how kids begin to do these tricks at a very early age..