What Caught My Eye Today - Hurricane Sandy, Presidential Election, Star Wars, Coffee
Hurricane Sandy - Hurricane Sandy is officially the largest Atlantic hurricane on record, with winds spanning 1,100 miles and is estimated in early calculations to have caused damage of at least $55 billion. That is one big mamba-jamba. Over twenty states were in one way or another affected by Sandy in the United States. The hurricane caused billions of dollars in damage in the United States, destroyed thousands of homes, left millions without electric service, and killed 82 (as of Nov 1). From October 27th through early November 1st, airlines cancelled a total of 19,729 flights. As of early morning on November 1, just over 4.8 million customers remained without power this morning in 15 states and the District of Columbia. Over the course of the reporting on this storm I was intrigued by one headline in particular and the amount of time spent talking about it. Is it a hurricane, a post-tropical cyclone, a superstorm--what do you call it? My personal preference is big mamba-jamba; but the point I want to make is this--who cares what call it. I pretty sure the millions of people who were affected by the it. How about we just call it Sandy. A fitting name if every there was one. Gender neutral, so why not meteorologically neutral too. At any rate, you have to figure it would take an event of epic proportions to sideline the presidential campaigns a week before Election Day. Sandy certain lived up to her/his/its billing.
Presidential Election - Both presidential campaigns say they have momentum heading into the home stretch. Interesting. I would have thought one of these guys would have thrown in the towel by now. Who's got the stronger case? The polls provide some support for each camp: Obama is leading in enough swing states to win the electoral college while Romney surged in the national polls to take a slight lead after the Denver debate. I love polls. Something for everyone. No losers here. Of course, there are no winners either. As it turns out, no one ever won an election based on the polls. I recall reading somewhere (I think it was the Constitution) that the president had to be elected by actual votes. Here are six signs that each side is right — three points for Romney winning in the final six days of the race, and three for Obama:
- Romney is now contesting blue states. Ah yes, the liberals are finally seeing Obama's failed policies for what they really are...failures.
- He's coasting on momentum from the Denver debate. Proof positive that Obama is all talk and no substance.
- The math adds up for a Romney win. Trust us, we know how to add.
- Hurricane Sandy is wind in the president's sails. Nothing like a natural disaster to pull the nation together behind the guy in charge, especially when he looks like he's in charge.
- Obama's gaining or maintaining in the swing states. Proof positive that Romney is all talk and no substance. Wait a minute? Didn't I just say that.
- Obama is edging ahead nationally. Four more years! Four more years! Four more years!
Fred's Note: It's been a pretty tough week for a lot of people, so with that in mind, we'll lighten things up with these last two items...a lot.
Star Wars - The force is strong with Mickey Mouse. So check it out. You can translate English into Yoda speak...seriously (click here). That first sentence goes something like this--"Strong with mickey mouse, the force is. Hmm". Let's see how this works as we continue with this story. In one of the most momentous entertainment industry acquisitions of the last 30 years, Disney is paying $4.05 billion to buy Lucasfilm Ltd., the production company behind "Star Wars," from its chairman and founder, George Lucas. It's also making a seventh movie in the "Star Wars" series called "Episode 7," set for release in 2015, with plans to follow it with Episodes 8 and 9 and then one new movie every two or three years. The deal includes Lucasfilm's prized high-tech production companies, Industrial Light & Magic and Skywalker Sound, as well as rights to the "Indiana Jones" franchise. The deal brings Lucasfilm under the Disney banner with other brands including Pixar, Marvel, ESPN and ABC, all companies that Disney has acquired over the years. People took to Twitter immediately following the news. To twitter immediately following the news people took. Some expressed excitement at the prospect of a new trilogy, but many were displeased that Disney would be taking over the reigns. One fan's disapproval was quickly expressed in an image depicting three death stars in the shape of Mickey Mouse's head. Quickly expressed in an image depicting three death stars in the shape of mickey mouse's head, one fan's disapproval was. Another compared the deal to Superstorm Sandy: "...Focus on one major disaster at [a] time!" Incidentally, the plot details around "Episode 7" are scant, but Lucas has dropped these hints over the years: It takes place a few decades after "Return of the Jedi," continues the story of Luke Skywalker, and would deal with the rebuilding of the republic. Final thought; which is more disturbing--that there is not one, but several Yoda-speak translators on the 'Net or that I took the time to actually try one out?
Coffee - A British department store is hoping to clear up any confusion caused by complicated coffee names -- like "cappuccino," "latte," "mocha" and "black coffee" -- and replacing them with descriptive terms "frothy coffee," "really really milky coffee," "chocolate flavored coffee," and "simple coffee, with or without milk" as part of a campaign to translate menus into "plain English." Leave it to the English to embrace sanity for the good of all humankind. It's about bloody time. Where other companies use labels like "tall" (small), "grande" (large) or "venti" (extra large), the store will only offer coffee in a "cup" or "mug" size. You know what we need? I'll tell you... a Starbucks-speak translator. Oh dear god, there's one of those too (click here).
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