Hurricane Matthew

[Nubs70]

Because he used a potential catastrophe in the state I live in to push his self serving unscientific based agenda. To state in social media that the NHC engaged in a conspiracy to exaggerate the storm to benefit the administration's view on global warning is inexcusable. And sadly, typical for him.

Past and current directors of the NHC are alums of FSU. We have one of the best meteorology programs in the nation. My neighbor is the former director of COAPS (Center for Oceanic and Atmospheric Prediction Services) and the former state meteorologist. We've had several discussions about storms as we both cleaned up after Hermine. That someone would think scientists of their caliber would fudge data is outrageous. And then post their conspiracy theory on social media during the storm as people are worried about themselves, their loved ones and their property. He deserves my outrage and scorn.

There's been one reported death in St. Lucie. What IF the storm had made landfall and ripped across Central Florida?

Some of the shenanigans performed by East Anglia University would get the average student drummed out.

 

[LAKid53]

Some of the shenanigans performed by East Anglia University would get the average student drummed out.

Sorry, don't get your reference.

 

[Eddie Garrison]

Casey's...best hot dogs. Yummmmm.

Anyone ever notice that the 'Home' team in Casey's is losing on the scoreboard? How can Mudville be losing at home

 

[wm49rs]

Anyone ever notice that the 'Home' team in Casey's is losing on the scoreboard? How can Mudville be losing at home

"Casey at the Bat?"

 

[LAKid53]

Anyone ever notice that the 'Home' team in Casey's is losing on the scoreboard? How can Mudville be losing at home

No, I'll have to check that out in 14 days. It's been too many months since I had a hot dog at Casey's.

 

[lazyboy97o]

Anyone ever notice that the 'Home' team in Casey's is losing on the scoreboard? How can Mudville be losing at home

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville Nine that day;
the score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
a sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
they thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that –
they'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
and the former was a lulu and the latter was a fake,
so upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
for there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
and Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball;
and when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
there was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
it rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
it knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
for Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
there was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
no stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
and Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
and it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
he stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
he signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
but Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said: "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
but one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
and they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
he pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
and now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
the band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
and somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
but there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.

 

[NelsonRD]

Sorry, not apologetic. I've had the honor of reviewing research proposals for some of the best research scientists in the field. That someone like Matt Drudge would impune their integrity is despicable. I'm sure if I told my neighbor what Drudge said about the NHC, he'd burst a blood vessel, since some of those climatologists at NHC are his former students and colleagues. And none of them would ever say global warming is a hoax. My neighbor happens to be one of the preeminent experts on El Nino and La Nina weather patterns.

These are the same men and women who risked their lives during Andrew - as the building they were was being destroyed - in order to keep reporting on the storm so the residents of Miami would have accurate, updated reports to help them stay safe.

Yes, I am an environmentalist...spent 10 years at DEP. I've seen first hand what humans have done to the resources of this lovely state. It ain't pretty watching rescuers remove bone fragments from the spine of a juvenile manatee because some boater felt he had the right to boat at any speed he wanted through the Intercoastal. Sadly, the animal died. Otherwise, he would have had to be euthanized. You know how we cataloged manatees? By the scars on their backs from impact with boat propellers. So don't tell me how great some humans are....

Edit: that Rick Scott has prohibited the scientists at DEP from using the phrase "global warming" is even more infuriating, especially after Matthew.

It still does not matter. Some people claim 911 was an inside job, some say we never landed on the moon. Although I disagree, I wouldn't wish personal harm over an opposing view. It was a comment, not an action, lighten up.

 

[Nemo14]

Anyone ever notice that the 'Home' team in Casey's is losing on the scoreboard? How can Mudville be losing at home

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville Nine that day;
the score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
a sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
they thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that –
they'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
and the former was a lulu and the latter was a fake,
so upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
for there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
and Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball;
and when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
there was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
it rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
it knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
for Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
there was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
no stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
and Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
and it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
he stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
he signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
but Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said: "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
but one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
and they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
he pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
and now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
the band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
and somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
but there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.

You beat me to it!

 

[wdwfan22]

DisneyQuest is currently open and FREE to Disney resort guests.

 

[disney4life2008]

Casey's...best hot dogs. Yummmmm.

 

[disney4life2008]

DisneyQuest is currently open and FREE to Disney resort guests.

Wow free.

 

[NearTheEars]

So very happy that the storm shifted East and we're all mostly unscathed in Central Florida. Thoughts go out to the folks in St. Augustine and Jacksonville.

Kudos the Gov. and other officials for getting everyone prepared. 30 miles or so West and We'd be looking at a lot worse.

 

[LAKid53]

View attachment 167749

Oh, man, I forgot about those fries. Can you send me that meal, with the raspberry (or is it pomegranate) ice tea through the internet? Pretty please? *big grin*

 

[Bolt]

DisneyQuest is currently open and FREE to Disney resort guests.

That's amazing. And would have been awful to charge for 5 hours only. Hope it stays open late, too.

 

[Nemo14]

The outlook wasn't brilliant for the Mudville Nine that day;
the score stood four to two, with but one inning more to play.
And then when Cooney died at first, and Barrows did the same,
a sickly silence fell upon the patrons of the game.

A straggling few got up to go in deep despair. The rest
clung to that hope which springs eternal in the human breast;
they thought, if only Casey could get but a whack at that –
they'd put up even money, now, with Casey at the bat.

But Flynn preceded Casey, as did also Jimmy Blake,
and the former was a lulu and the latter was a fake,
so upon that stricken multitude grim melancholy sat,
for there seemed but little chance of Casey's getting to the bat.

But Flynn let drive a single, to the wonderment of all,
and Blake, the much despised, tore the cover off the ball;
and when the dust had lifted, and the men saw what had occurred,
there was Jimmy safe at second and Flynn a-hugging third.

Then from five thousand throats and more there rose a lusty yell;
it rumbled through the valley, it rattled in the dell;
it knocked upon the mountain and recoiled upon the flat,
for Casey, mighty Casey, was advancing to the bat.

There was ease in Casey's manner as he stepped into his place;
there was pride in Casey's bearing and a smile on Casey's face.
And when, responding to the cheers, he lightly doffed his hat,
no stranger in the crowd could doubt 'twas Casey at the bat.

Ten thousand eyes were on him as he rubbed his hands with dirt;
five thousand tongues applauded when he wiped them on his shirt.
Then while the writhing pitcher ground the ball into his hip,
defiance gleamed in Casey's eye, a sneer curled Casey's lip.

And now the leather-covered sphere came hurtling through the air,
and Casey stood a-watching it in haughty grandeur there.
Close by the sturdy batsman the ball unheeded sped--
"That ain't my style," said Casey. "Strike one," the umpire said.

From the benches, black with people, there went up a muffled roar,
like the beating of the storm-waves on a stern and distant shore.
"Kill him! Kill the umpire!" shouted someone on the stand;
and it's likely they'd have killed him had not Casey raised his hand.

With a smile of Christian charity great Casey's visage shone;
he stilled the rising tumult; he bade the game go on;
he signaled to the pitcher, and once more the spheroid flew;
but Casey still ignored it, and the umpire said: "Strike two."

"Fraud!" cried the maddened thousands, and echo answered fraud;
but one scornful look from Casey and the audience was awed.
They saw his face grow stern and cold, they saw his muscles strain,
and they knew that Casey wouldn't let that ball go by again.

The sneer is gone from Casey's lip, his teeth are clenched in hate;
he pounds with cruel violence his bat upon the plate.
And now the pitcher holds the ball, and now he lets it go,
and now the air is shattered by the force of Casey's blow.

Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
the band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
and somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
but there is no joy in Mudville — mighty Casey has struck out.

Way off topic here, but my dad used to read that poem to us when we were kids. He put so much life into it that my siblings and I were just mesmerized, and even now more than half a century later, I can still hear his voice whenever I read that poem.

 

[Sped2424]

Central Florida has never been so lucky. Glad to see things ended well here with Matthew. I even slept through the night no problem.

 

[LAKid53]

Everything's right with the world. Florida escaped Matthew, my brother left a message that my niece is okay and the Dodgers are up 4-3 on the Nationals in Game 1 of the playoffs! Thought we needed another baseball reference after Casey at Bat.

Go Blue!

 

[rawisericho]

Any idea how busy the parks will be this weekend? I'm not sure if I should be worried when we go to MK tomorrow.

 

[BernardandBianca]

Probably because it's the easiest thing to re-open since there isn't a lot of support employees needed, and they can just open the stores and restaurants that have sufficient staff.

Staffing is an issue - it's easier to staff than an entire theme park.

Not really. It's the easiest to open up right now because of staffing. If I was on the property and that is all they had to offer after sitting in a hotel room for almost 24 hours, I would be more than happy to go out and make the best of this evening there.

Not really. The mall has a lot of independent stores that provide their own staffing, which leaves Disney to provide fewer people. It takes way more Disney personnel to open a theme park, even at some limited form. Once you've told your employees Friday is a day off, it would take an enormous amount of work to get them back that quickly.

To those above, I say "Bull." Look at the number of people who will be needed to staff the stores/restaurants open at DS, and you should easily be able to staff at the very least portions of one of the theme parks. WDW is not interested in providing entertainment for its guests, it's interested in selling items at their new mall. They don't lose admissions, since most people will have length of stay passes, so their strategy is to get those people to spend money at the mall,rather than enjoy themselves at a park.

It would seem to me that it's not just an issue of staffing, but there's also a need to make sure that the areas they're re-opening to guests are safe. I manage a business in the Mid-Atlantic and following hurricanes or snowstorms here, it's not just a matter of staffing that determines when we can open. We also need to make sure there was no structural damage to the building that may create a liability for us. With the huge scale/footprint of each park, I imagine this is a huge reason why Disney Springs is open and not the parks at this point in time. (Although I'm sure staffing-wise, it makes more sense to try and open the smaller landscape of Springs as well.)

For the negative comments about Disney opening "a shopping mall" as opposed to the parks, this negativity is one of the reasons I lurk instead of post on this board. Not that Disney isn't often deserving of negative comments, but being negative about this? Makes no sense to me. They didn't have to open up anything.

No they don't, and I never said that they needed to. I just pointed out that what they did do was directed towards selling merchandise rather than providing enhanced guest experiences.

Retail open tonight at Disney Springs
Basin
Chapel Hats
Coca Cola Store
Curl by Sammy Duvall
Disney's Candy Cauldron
Disney Days of Christmas
Erwin Pearl
Pop Gallery
SANUK
Something Silver
Sound Lion
Star Wars A Galactic Outpost
Super Hero Headquarters
The Ganachery
United Soccer World
World of Disney

Food options include these beginning at 5:00 PM local time:

Blaze Pizza
Homecoming Kitchen
D-Luxe Burger
Earl of Sandwich
Morimoto
Paridiso
Portobello
Raglan Road
Splitsville
T-Rex

Also, they are not turning away non resort guests at this time.

Again, if you can staff all of these areas, don't you think you could at least staff part of one park. I'm thinking of the 5 attractions at DHS (excluding shows) that shouldn't need these many folks.

Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

 

[danlb_2000]

To those above, I say "Bull." Look at the number of people who will be needed to staff the stores/restaurants open at DS, and you should easily be able to staff at the very least portions of one of the theme parks. WDW is not interested in providing entertainment for its guests, it's interested in selling items at their new mall. They don't lose admissions, since most people will have length of stay passes, so their strategy is to get those people to spend money at the mall,rather than enjoy themselves at a park.



No they don't, and I never said that they needed to. I just pointed out that what they did do was directed towards selling merchandise rather than providing enhanced guest experiences.





Again, if you can staff all of these areas, don't you think you could at least staff part of one park. I'm thinking of the 5 attractions at DHS (excluding shows) that shouldn't need these many folks.

Just my opinion, your mileage may vary.

It doesn't take a huge number of people to man those locations, especially the retail stores some of which can be operated with just one or two people. You will need more for the restaurants, but only a couple differ roles need to be filled (chefs, servers, hostess, etc). To open a theme park you not only need a lot of people you need sufficient people to staff a wide number of roles. Also, if you open the parks for a half day your are going to have a lot of people going to guest services wanting some sort of "discount" because the park is only open half a day.