Batten down the hatches!

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

That's good news, Blue. 

[Bluenose]

Latest update: one person is confirmed dead, a 23 y.o. man was found asphyxiated in a small closed room where he had been overcome by the fumes from a generator.  Not sure I can in all conscience blame the cyclone for that, but it is sad nevertheless and I guess had there been no cyclone and the power had consequently gone out, he might well not have died.  Various reports say either one or two people are missing.  One was apparently on a boat and grave fears are held for him, the other apparently is possibly alive and well and does not know people are looking for him.   Time will tell.

As for the reconstruction after cyclone Larry, I guess although people do from time to time grumble about new rules when they are introduced, generally speaking people over here recognise that the authorities do have the right to make them, especially to incorporate lessons learnt after natural disasters.  No doubt lessons learnt from the current rash of floods and of course the cyclone will result in still more changes.  Probably one of the biggest changes will be a requirement for towns further inland to be constructed to withstand cyclones.  Yasi was almost over to the Northern Territory border before it was finally downgraded to a tropical depression and even then they were still issuing gale force wind warnings.  At the moment the weather gurus are suggesting that ex-tropical cyclone Yasi looks likely to link up with an existing cold front across the centre of the continent and consequently there is likely to be torrential rain in much of my home state including the flood affected areas, this weekend.  Just what we don't need.  I cannot    believe I am complaining about impending rain.  After such a long drought it seems like sacrilege somehow.

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Spoke too soon, then.   Pity about the dude with the CO poisoning; you'd think people would learn this one, it's so common to read about.

I'm always amazed at what people resist:  "you want me to build my house earthquake proof?  Just because I live on a fault line?  No way!"

Well, keep your flotation devices close to hand, Blue and try not to wash away.

[Swatopluk]

In large parts of the US the idea of insulating one's house against the cold seems also to be lost to the distant past (before cheap oil became the one thing that the US would be willing to commit any imaginable atrocity to get its hands on constantly).
Is there any legal requirement that US houses have to be built so light that a truck can carry them away?

[ivor]

They aren't that light.  Especially here in my neighborhood.  If they were, these dumb Okie's would be stealing them. 

[Swatopluk]

There was a curious law case in the UK. An elderly couple parked their car in what they thought was a car park (house not lot). When they returned from shopping the 'car park' was not there anymore because it was actually a car ferry that had left by then. The couple went to the police and reported that the car park had been stolen.

[Bluenose]

Time for a laugh.  I really, really hope this is a photoshop job.

[Swatopluk]

Were any tigers hurt in the shift?

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Time for a laugh.  I really, really hope this is a photoshop job.

I must be dimwitted or slow...

... all I see is a map of Australia...

[Swatopluk]

Took me some time too.
Queensland is a state (is that the right term?) in North-East Australia.
The map shifts it to Tasmania, where there is a city by the name of Queenstown (at about the location the map points to).
The joke is that the storm was strong enough to blow the one to the other.
My remark about tigers refers to the (possibly related) species of the Queensland and the Tasmanian Tiger (the former may not exist, the latter is likely extinct).

---

Oops - hit "Modify" instead of "quote" - Bluenose

[Bob in a quantum-state-of-faith]

Aaah.  Thanks!

[Bluenose]

Took me some time too.
Queensland is a state (is that the right term?) in North-East Australia.
The map shifts it to Tasmania, where there is a city by the name of Queenstown (at about the location the map points to).
The joke is that the storm was strong enough to blow the one to the other.
My remark about tigers refers to the (possibly related) species of the Queensland and the Tasmanian Tiger (the former may not exist, the latter is likely extinct).

Right on all counts.  Queensland tiger is almost certainly a myth.

[Swatopluk]

While the East drowns, the West is on fire, if I got the news correctly this morning.
Maybe the Lord wanted to punish Austria at last and got the spelling wrong.