YHGTBFKM

or, as people in lower manhattan and elsewhere around the ny and jersey coastlines might be overheard to be saying today as they were yesterday:  you have got to be fucking kidding me.

the organizers of the nyc marathon have been testy and defensive about the continued employment of their two massive power generators in central park (the third backup unit, to add insult to injury, isn't even being bothered to be run right now) to keep their PR tent running smoothly, but they have their heads shoved so far up their entitled and prodigious ass holes that there is no getting them back to listen to reason.  listen to mary wittenburg, head of the marathon organization:  "this isn’t about running. this is about helping the city. we’re dedicating this race to the lives that were lost and helping the city recover. we want to raise money and awareness.”

yeah?  so the generators that could be providing power to as many as 400 flood ravaged homes on staten island or elsewhere (the generators in question have a combined capacity of over 800KW) NEED to be reserved for race PR days before the damn thing is even set to start?

so that the 8000 race volunteers can be handing out water bottles to out-of-town dilettantes taking a quick jogging tour of the area instead of those RIGHT THERE IN LOWER MANHATTAN that have no water to live on whatsoever?

i like the idea that runners could be employed jogging up and down the stairs of those highrise apartments in lower manhattan without water or power so that elderly residents with no way to provide for themselves might be resupplied.  (some are as high as 80 stories).  in fact, i like ALL the ideas that repurpose resources and manpower from entertainment to relief:  move those generators.  mobilize those volunteers.  do something to "dedicate this race to the lives that were lost and helping the city recover".  don't be a putz.  don't be a colossal asshole.  don't be the jerk that you are working so hard to be, and stain the race forever with the shame of association.

(if you're interested in more background, here's something from the ny post, and here's something from the huffington post on the subject).

but not all is lost as far as humanity is concerned.  the green mountain power company in vermont spent their first 48 hours restoring power to each and every one of their 48,000 customers who lost it during the storm, and then every moment since mustering and mobilizing their resources to send to CT and beyond to help those less fortunate.   one of my favorite images of the effort:

 
at least some people still get it.   vermont has always rocked.  they still do.