I thought there was something about looting and crime?

I sort of have a thing against news orgs who post articles online. And then when you click they either force you to pay or join. It's cheaply predatory at the very least. 

That might have worked in 1999. But not anymore. I'm happy to read your article and possibly hit one of your advertising links. Or otherwise bring you income by going to your site by going there. 

But in the mean time everytime I discover one of these I block them from my news feed. 

Our lives are already a constant cacophony of digital content. I refuse to go out of my way to pay for more. Especially since it's not fair and balanced news to begin with. Not saying that this is the only one like that. Few if any are balanced actual news anymore. It's completely editorial. Or opinion - for those of you that don't remember the difference. 

By that I don't mean your ignorant. I just recall a time when the evening news was just that - fair, balanced, unbiased news reporting. Then at the end of each evening broadcast they would put the word "Editorial" in large type on the screen. 

Clearly noting that the last 5 minute segment was devoted to someone's "opinion" about a given issue. Thus the word "Editorial". Clearly pointing out the difference between news and editorial.

There is no news left. It's just all arguments and editorial. People or owners opinions. That and the petty predatory nature of false links getting to you pay or forced to be tracked by signing up. Has had the NYT on my block list for some time. And no it's not because I am blatantly liberal or conservative. They are both guilty. I just tend to make decisions based in single issues not any political leaning.

Stepping off my soapbox.

Quote from: Moab on Yesterday at 02:35:28 AM

Quote from: majorhavoc on August 21, 2026, 11:20:29 PMCoverage in the New York Times here.

Definitely some lessons for preppers,

I've seen this in the news. But can you summarize the article? It's behind a paywall.

What is a "derecho"?

That's weird, it's supposed to be a gift article.  My NYTimes subscription allows me to share unblocked individual articles with non-subscribers.  I've edited my post to add the free access link again. 

In a nutshell: what Anianna said.  August 11th rain storms with unusually powerful winds (80-100mph) caused major flooding and downed trees throughout the city of Gary, Indiana.  It's a particularly impoverished community near Chicago and residents there have been without power at the height of summer heat for going on 10 days now. 

QuoteCity officials said that donations of money and supplies have poured into Gary. Lowe's sent a truck with hundreds of buckets and cleanup kits; food trucks have set up in neighborhoods to feed hungry residents; a medical facility equipped a bus to treat people. Shelters have opened to feed and house residents.
One company drove around handing out tarps so that residents could cover damaged roofs and prevent even more rain from seeping inside.

Mike Curtis, a 63-year-old retired truck driver, was busy on Friday sawing apart fallen trees behind his garage. He lives with his wife in a brick bungalow and has been without power since the storm.
"I've been in Gary since I was 4 years old," he said. "I've never seen anything like this."
To many people, the weather on Aug. 11 — ferocious rain, thunder and lightning — did not seem unusual for summer in the Midwest.

"I thought it was just a typical thunderstorm," said Raydia Martin, the assistant director of Flourish Community Hub, a nonprofit that provides social services. "It was way more devastating than I initially thought."

Anianna has a point that this doesn't seem to be getting the coverage it deserves.  10 days is a long time to restore power in a modern, non-rural community.  Maybe I'm just cynical and I certainly don't want to get into politics, but I cannot help but think if this were a more affluent community, power would have been restored by now.  I'm noticing that the article doesn't mention any reports of looting, something I would have expected at least some of, after 10 days.  The whole 72 hour rule and all.  Either it's not happening or the reporting is - like the official response - inadequate.

A derecho is a unsually powerful thunderstorm with a very drawn out footprint known for straightline winds exceeding 60mph.  This sounds like it was a really bad one.

Quote from: majorhavoc on August 21, 2026, 11:20:29 PMCoverage in the New York Times here.

Definitely some lessons for preppers,

I've seen this in the news. But can you summarize the article? It's behind a paywall.

What is a "derecho"?

Coverage in the New York Times here.

Definitely some lessons for prepper.

https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/us/gary-indiana-power-outage.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7VA.ZRgG.fRDi-oSCWYgT&smid=url-share
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/21/us/gary-indiana-power-outage.html?unlocked_article_code=1.7VA.ZRgG.fRDi-oSCWYgT&smid=url-share

There may be lessons to learn here, but the information is scant.  On Tuesday, 11 August, a derecho hit northwest Indiana.  Some areas remain without power even now, notably Gary, Indiana, a once thriving boomtown that has been essentially a defunct low income area for several years now.

Very little has shown up in news reports, almost nothing at all on national news, with sporadic reports from local news stations in nearby areas.  Notably, a vehicle from the local utility provider was damaged by gunfire in Gary in the days just after the storm, which is cited as one reason the provider chose to focus on other areas first.  

Every other bit of information comes from social media posts that can't be vetted, but many of them claim there have been people breaking into homes to steal supplies and generators.  Residents are arming themselves and barricading their homes.  This area is likely full of people who don't have the money to prep to any degree of sufficiency.  Some claim to be out of food and water.  

I suspect Red Cross is there trying to help, but, in my experience, Red Cross sets up at a location and residents have to come to them for assistance, but gas pumps aren't working in an extended area, either, and anybody without internet access or a portable radio likely aren't getting that information.  People are desperate and afraid and it's hard to tell what information on social media is real and what isn't, which is likely only compounding the fear people there are feeling.  I suspect that's why the power company truck was fired on.  

Recent news suggests it will be several more days before Gary residents get power back on.  As is typical in these kinds of emergencies, the Indiana National Guard is on the scene for debris cleanup.  I wonder if the Guard will be expected to guard power company teams as they move through Gary.  

Quote from: aikorob on August 20, 2026, 01:13:16 PM

Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on August 18, 2026, 05:06:32 PM

Quote from: aikorob on August 18, 2026, 03:53:03 PM

Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on August 18, 2026, 03:28:14 PMFrank Beard, the drummer for the band ZZ Top, passed away on August 17th, 2026 at the age of 77.

That now leaves Billy Gibbons as the last surviving member of ZZ Top.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Beard_(musician)

Damn................I had tickets to see them next month    
now I has a major sad

Oh that sucks, aikorob.

Given the circumstances, I'd bet they'll end up refunding a lot of folks now.

Billy and Elwood were on the road with a sub drummer earlier this month................we'll see if Billy decides to put the band to rest and just continue with The BFGs

To me, ZZ Top were Billy Gibbons, Frank Beard and Dusty Hill. It just wouldn't be the same without the other two.

It'd be like having Pantera without Dimebag Darrel and Vinnie Paul. It works, but it's just not the same.

I ran over a toolbox (or some kind of metal box) on the interstate with my C8. This is the greatest of tragedies, only slightly remediated by the fact that all damage was underneath. 

Still, I was forced to drop it off at the shop and it will also need a new set of rear tires. 

Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on August 18, 2026, 05:06:32 PM

Quote from: aikorob on August 18, 2026, 03:53:03 PM

Quote from: 12_Gauge_Chimp on August 18, 2026, 03:28:14 PMFrank Beard, the drummer for the band ZZ Top, passed away on August 17th, 2026 at the age of 77.

That now leaves Billy Gibbons as the last surviving member of ZZ Top.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frank_Beard_(musician)

Damn................I had tickets to see them next month    
now I has a major sad

Oh that sucks, aikorob.

Given the circumstances, I'd bet they'll end up refunding a lot of folks now.

Billy and Elwood were on the road with a sub drummer earlier this month................we'll see if Billy decides to put the band to rest and just continue with The BFGs

Purchased a new dashcam for it.  Essentially, it's the same as the one that failed, just updated with better night vision.



The company worked with me to determine that the problem was with the camera, not any of the microSD cards I used, but the camera was 2 months past the 18-month warranty, so they offered me an $80 rebate on the upgraded model.  I just bought the new one (will be here by 11 AM tomorrow), and this time I added a 3-year protection plan to it from Asurion.  This way, it's almost double the regular warranty, covers almost any failure except abuse, and is less time-consuming to deal with.  (The manufacturer is in China, and customer service is via email overnight, so a back-and-forth exchange of messages can take several days)

I know this section is most often reserved for personal failure lessons learned, but it seems to be happening in real time in front of us.

The SPR apparently was never thought to be used because as we approach a record low 25% capacity there are concerns that the weak salt rocks it is stored in may shift or collapse shutting off easy access to the reserves and create other problems as well.

During COVID we had a a unique opportunity to refill the entire thing for practically free but our Congress (like so often in the past) completely failed us. Now we are at a 40 year low and dropping.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.cnbc.com/amp/2026/08/15/strategic-petroleum-reserve-spr-oil-iran-war-caverns.html