BS: Always look on the bright side

Subject: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Jack Campin
Date: 22 Sep 17 - 07:44 AM

From the New York Times site yeasterday:

Ricardo Ramos, the chief executive of the government-owned Puerto Rico Electric Power Authority, told CNN on Thursday that the island's power infrastructure had essentially been "destroyed."

Mr. Ramos said residents would need to adjust to a new way of life, changing how they cook and how they cool off. He said adjustments would be particularly difficult for a younger generation that has grown up playing with electronic devices and taking power for granted.

"It's a good time for dads to buy a ball and a glove and change the way you entertain your children," he said.

He does have a point. We're going to find out something about what happens when a population used to iPhones and XBoxes suddenly has them taken away.

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side of life
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Sep 17 - 10:28 AM

Also good news for Real Estate developers who love to acquire property for pennies on the dollar.

The scale of the disasters are either to remote and inconsequential for people to comment or too painful and fearful.

Subject: Always look on the bright side of life ta da da d
From: Donuel
Date: 22 Sep 17 - 06:40 PM

More than just being heard, people want escapism and a happy brain.

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Iains
Date: 23 Sep 17 - 04:42 AM

The Puerto Ricans, despite the catastrophe, are probably far more resilient to a grid down situation than the US. The loss of a number of large transformers would take years to replace. I wonder how much redundancy exists in the US grid?

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Mr Red
Date: 25 Sep 17 - 04:18 AM

I wonder how much redundancy exists in the US grid?

distribution infrastructure?
or
generating capacity?

I presume California has sorted the latter for the time being.

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Mr Red
Date: 25 Sep 17 - 04:36 AM

oops - to many windows open at one time.

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Jack Campin
Date: 25 Sep 17 - 10:13 AM

This is pretty grim:

http://edition.cnn.com/2017/09/21/us/despacito-puerto-rico-video-damage-trnd/index.html

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Donuel
Date: 25 Sep 17 - 12:34 PM

Still haven't heard from my brother in the western PR highlands

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: ChanteyLass
Date: 25 Sep 17 - 05:29 PM

I hope he can get in touch soon, Donuel.

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Jack Campin
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 07:13 AM

How much are the US media reporting on Puerto Rico? It seems to be an unfolding catastrophe far worse than anything else that's affected the US for decades; Trump is saying it's all their own fault and seems to want to leave them entirely on their own.

Without urgent assistance, more people will die than in all postwar natural or terrorist disasters put together.

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Jack Campin
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 10:17 AM

Trump: forget about getting any aid and just pay up the debt. All heart, isn't he?

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/hurricane-maria-donald-trump-puerto-rico-island-massive-debt-caribbean-island-us-citizens-a7967436.html

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Bill D
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 11:28 AM

The US media that I watch are following Puerto Rico pretty closely, with interviews with the governor and videos of damage, rescue and continuing dangers. Access to water & food is gradually being restored, but in the interior that process is slow due to washed out roads. Helicopters from naval vessels are doing what they can.

There is simply no easy fix to a disaster this large.

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Donuel
Date: 26 Sep 17 - 12:15 PM

Based on damage sustained at the Arecibo telescope there is not total devastation to that region but extreme challenges will come from trying to find food and water, restore electricity and survive looting. Its not raining, if it did it might help the water shortage among the clever. Its very hot.

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Donuel
Date: 27 Sep 17 - 02:36 PM

CNN has cited an example of Amazon charging 3 million dollars to deliver a palette of water to PR. On the bright side today the cost to deliver 48 bottles of water is only $2400.

Its been a while since the US has had a cholera outbreak but PR has the conditions required such as dead bodies in homes. On the bright side cholera is not Ebola.

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Jack Campin
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 06:44 PM

More grim news:

http://robinwestenra.blogspot.co.uk/2017/09/reports-out-of-puerto-rico-evening.html

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: SqueezeMe
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 08:14 PM

(Fake news warning)

"North Korea offers aid to Puerto Rica" (Facebook)

Yeah, right....

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Stilly River Sage
Date: 28 Sep 17 - 11:04 PM

It's ironic that this thread title is an earworm. You know who.

Subject: RE: BS: Always look on the bright side
From: Donuel
Date: 29 Sep 17 - 09:43 PM

No proof of life call yet. On the bright one should expect no help for 2 weeks after a disaster.