STORM'S AFTERMATH

Yesterday someone told me that the New York subways would never work again. Some of the subways are running already.

There are a lot of rumors and faked photos, according the Britain's Guardian newspaper. The Guardian lists sites that post updates for electricity and transportation. The Guardian also says that the New York Daily News has been reliably reporting photos and transportation updates.

Please be careful when you watch TV with young children. They can be more traumatized by the reporting of the disaster than by the disaster itself. I found that buying the children small disaster kits with first aid, flashlights and batteries to be very helpful. I highly recommend the kind of flashlights that you can work without batteries. These flashlights have a little pump to generate electricity when their batteries are not functional. A small radio is another good addition.

When the big 1989 earthquake hit the Bay Area, I did not even have a working radio. Two weeks before the earthquake, my father sent me a big box of batteries in all sizes. I was able to provide batteries to the entire neighborhood  and someone lent me a radio. It was actually fun to meet all my neighbors.

Sometimes good can come from bad. A flood in Florence, Italy, damaged scores of important old paintings. When the paintings were restored the restorers discovered that hundreds of years of soot and grime covered vibrant colors. This lead to the restoration of the Sistine Chapel.

At least the New York subways will be clean. %<)