70 Trillion people affected, 13 Bajillion dollars in damage, Hurricane Sandy and media hype

Okay, I get it.

It's a big storm.
But we've had big storms before.

As a society, are we becoming immune to drama? Everything needs to be "hyped" now. From elections to storms. From the food we eat to celebrities wearing meat. From movies to cars, "hype" is all over the place.

God forbid we get a big winter storm in a couple of months. I don't think I could handle it after the election, Sandy, and my bunion.

We need to remind ourselves that we have "weathered" any number of storms before. After the storm hits, we dry out, make repairs and move on.

After this election, we dry out, make repairs and move on.

We don't rend shirts, gnash teeth, wail and bemoan our fates.

In the "eye" of the current "storms of destiny" I want to find a small island of rationality. I have been guilty in the past of promoting hype to push my own secular agendas.

Well, I'm pouring a nice warm cup of rationality into my mug and smoking the cigarette of sanity now.

We need to look at the actual picture and not the interpretations of the picture by others.

Or else, we might all die!!!!!!!

(mods, feel free to move this where appropriate if I chose incorrectly)

Originally posted by beezzer
Okay, I get it.

It's a big storm.
But we've had big storms before.

We need to remind ourselves that we have "weathered" any number of storms before. After the storm hits, we dry out, make repairs and move on.

That sums up everything you need to know about surviving tropical storms......and presidential elections.....right there!

B-b-b-but, the full moon and, and the hurricane, they're gonna join forces and the whole eastern seaboard will flood and we's all gonna die.




The general populous consists primarily of two types of people, short-attention spanned fools who eat up everything broadcast on the Television and people who watch it anyway, silently condoning all the crap. The news has to compete with the rest of television and thus must keep up its ratings. Less information, more entertainment it will only continue and get worse until we put our foot down; unfortunately, I doubt there will ever be enough of us in the "we".

reply to post by beezzer


Beautiful Beezer, maybe you should be working the news desk for the MSM, as they are not doing a "gooder" enough job of "HYPING!!!!!!" This up yet obviously.

Everytime I see another report it is the same, and they are always creeping ever closer to you thread title.

Maybe you should have just gone the full monte and said "its the end of the world! ZOMG!! The skies falling we're all gonna die!!!"

But hey, I bet they get past that one by the time its over.

Good thread SnF.

On a side note, I bet it doesn't take 2 weeks to get a bottle of water into the major urban areas effected like in Katrina, as too many rich white guys live on the east coast.

Matter of fact, I bet they have more than enough help before the winds die down.

One thing i think is pertinent to this: if they hype it up and try to get peoples attention
then its seen in a bad light, on the other hand if they underplay it and people think
its no big deal, then we see them staying where it may well get dangerous.

But in essence i cant say im not sick of the overhype they use constantly, I was
speaking to a friend just yesterday about how i wish we had just 1 news channel
that gave us the facts, no more, no less. Wanna know what he said? " I doubt
anyone would even watch that, people want entertainment from everything these
days, it would probably just tank because of no one watching it."

I disagree with him as I would watch that show, but there again I crave honesty
and reason above hype and entertainment, I really hope im not in the minority.......

reply to post by inverslyproportional


It is not the responsibility of "rich white guys" to take care of the victims of a storm. It is the governments' responsibility to protect those affected. Racist remarks are not tolerated here on ATS thank you.

Btw, your post was completely off topic.

These days it takes making a big deal out of something for people to take the slightest bit of caution. I'll take having the city over-hype a storm to keep pointless deaths from occurring. You have those idiots that'll go surfing and drown, running in the storm and slip, or people that go out driving because their power happened to go out and they weren't prepared, and what do you know, a tree falls on their car. There are plenty of idiotic scenarios all of us at ATS could list, it's precaution over death, and I believe it's worth it. Over-hype it, keep everyone safe at home with their families, get the homeless off of the streets, etc. I don't see the issue here.

I agree that the coverage I saw of Sandy today seems very hyped up. The last I heard was there was 60 mph winds and that 375,000 people were being forced to evacuate. The strange thing to me was that they were keeping the handicapped, disabled, hospitalized and elderly in the area, but made it mandatory for everyone else to leave that area? Why? I thought it was strange that he..."Bloomberg".. I think it was stood there and said plainly and calmly that "Oh, they'll be fine." But the rest of you must leave? For gale force winds? Really? I don't know the area at all as far as structure strength and whether or not they've built the buildings to withstand gale force winds... but I know that I live in deep south east Texas where the pine trees are thick and tall, and we have 70 mph winds + during t-storms...and yes some trees fall, but most of them come through just fine.
My hubby says he thinks that TPTB are just "testing" those poor people to see how quickly and efficiently they can evacuate... Like in preparation for a bigger event. Because it didn't make sense to either of us as to the mandatory evac for those winds.... Is it the sea level? Flooding? Just wondering why not the sick and elderly?

I see the point. But around here the only time we get big storms that actually do damage is like the current situation. So far and few between, better to heed some caution but yes I do agree hyped up by the news quite a bit.

reply to post by beezzer


F'real. Never seen such frenzy over a category 1. That's just a large severe thunderstorm. You'll make it.

Also, people are out SPENDING money buying things to prepare for the perfect storm. That's good for the economy, right? Especially around election time.

Good time to watch to the news closely, might be lots of 'under-reporting' of events related to the economy.

reply to post by Skywatcher2011


Where did I say it was the rich white guys jobs? Or make a raciist remark?

My unit went to Katrina, they were all poor and black in new orleans( well not all, just 90% + of them)

It is the governments responsibility, they just usually fail, unless rich white guys are involved, in which case they always perform far above the need.

BTW, your not a Mod, they will decide the valid nature of my comments, not you.

Originally posted by deessell
Also, people are out SPENDING money buying things to prepare for the perfect storm. That's good for the economy, right? Especially around election time.

Good time to watch to the news closely, might be lots of 'under-reporting' of events related to the economy.

The costs for spending $50 for bottled water are very quickly offset by replacing a torn up roof on your house of $3000 - $12,000 value.

Your application of economics in this scenario fails completely. Nice try though

Originally posted by inverslyproportional
reply to post by Skywatcher2011

 

Where did I say it was the rich white guys jobs? Or make a raciist remark?

Firstly, learn how to spell racist...

Secondly, why did you decide to write:

On a side note, I bet it doesn't take 2 weeks to get a bottle of water into the major urban areas effected like in Katrina, as too many rich white guys live on the east coast.

and single out any other demographic?

Your post was pretty loaded with a hidden agenda and feelings. I want to know your intentions behind your post.

reply to post by inverslyproportional


I don't consider anything you said as racist. It's fact. And you were right on topic too. Katrina was horrible. Thank you for helping those people. I hope those affected by Sandy stay safe and alert... Doesn't matter what race we are, truth is we can all use some help. But I know for certain that you are correct about how quickly "help" will arrive for those in the NE in comparison to NOLA.

Don't let the negative poster bother you...
Someone just wants to argue... another "natural event"

Originally posted by Skywatcher2011

Originally posted by deessell
Also, people are out SPENDING money buying things to prepare for the perfect storm. That's good for the economy, right? Especially around election time.

Good time to watch to the news closely, might be lots of 'under-reporting' of events related to the economy.

The costs for spending $50 for bottled water are very quickly offset by replacing a torn up roof on your house of $3000 - $12,000 value.

Your application of economics in this scenario fails completely. Nice try though

edit on 29-10-2012 by Skywatcher2011 because: (no reason given)

My application of economics fails only if the storm does as much damage as predicted. If the Hurricane peters out, then it is a win-win situation, no?

Originally posted by deessell

Originally posted by Skywatcher2011

Originally posted by deessell
Also, people are out SPENDING money buying things to prepare for the perfect storm. That's good for the economy, right? Especially around election time.

Good time to watch to the news closely, might be lots of 'under-reporting' of events related to the economy.

The costs for spending $50 for bottled water are very quickly offset by replacing a torn up roof on your house of $3000 - $12,000 value.

Your application of economics in this scenario fails completely. Nice try though

edit on 29-10-2012 by Skywatcher2011 because: (no reason given)

My application of economics fails only if the storm does as much damage as predicted. If the Hurricane peters out, then it is a win-win situation, no?

I think storms are great for businesses which sell products or repair services....not good for consumers who have to shell out money that they have not necessarily budgeted for.

reply to post by Skywatcher2011


My last 3 lines are not my entire post, my phone freaks and adds extra letters all the time, look at any of my past posts, I just get tired of deleting them all, I didn't realize this was a spelling test, and.....

What are you talking about guy? I am not a hiding my intentions type of person, I am an open book, I will once again reference my previous posts for an example.

Everything isn't a conspiracy man.

Sorry if your having a bad day, but don't try to take it out on me, I will catch another T&C in a second, and I just now got back above 1000 ATS points, so I got a couple to lose again.

Sorry for derailling your thread Beez, I will not continue to feed the puffy haired under a bridge dwellers. Please do not once again shake the angry fist in my general direction."all hail his royal fluffiness, may his fluffiness be forever true!"

Originally posted by inverslyproportional
reply to post by Skywatcher2011

 

My last 3 lines are not my entire post, my phone freaks and adds extra letters all the time, look at any of my past posts, I just get tired of deleting them all, I didn't realize this was a spelling test, and.....

Time to get a new phone...doesn't seem like a very "smart" phone you are using. Ever try a desktop or laptop or Mac for typing purposes?

Originally posted by inverslyproportional
reply to post by Skywatcher2011

 

Where did I say it was the rich white guys jobs? Or make a raciist remark?

It is the governments responsibility, they just usually fail, unless rich white guys are involved, in which case they always perform far above the need.

Again, singling out the rich white demographic...you are just burying yourself deeper in your hole...and continue to post about this demographic without any proof.

Why not supply us with some news articles to support your argument that rich white guys support a government's failed attempt to help victims of storms?